Ronaldo-Less Real Complete Super Cup Rout of Barcelona
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MMLBLB | Page 5 GOLF | Page 7 Puig’s walk-off US favourites double lift s to win Solheim Dodgers over Cup against White Sox Europe Friday, August 18, 2017 ATHLETICS Dhul-Qa’da 26, 1438 AH Bolt reveals injury GULF TIMES details and rounds on doubters SPORT Page 6 FOOTBALL CRICKET Ronaldo-less Real Ton-up Root shines bright complete Super Cup for England rout of Barcelona in Windies Ronaldo’s replacement Asensio and Benzema score in first half for 2-0 win day/nighter England’s Joe Root (right) raises his bat to the fans as he walks off for the tea break along with teammate Alastair Cook during the first Test against West Indies in Birmingham yesterday. (Reuters) AFP Roach through the covers before Birmingham, United Kingdom clipping him off his pads. It was an encouraging start by the Surrey batsman — Cook’s 12th Eng- oe Root led from the front land opening partner since Andrew with a century as England took Strauss retired fi ve years ago. charge against the West Indies But that was as good as it got for on the opening day of the in- Stoneman, brought in after England Jaugural day/night Test on English soil dropped Keaton Jennings following Real Madrid players celebrate winning the Super Cup after beating Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on Wednesday. (AFP) at Edgbaston yesterday. a run of low scores during the pre- England were 215 for two at tea ceding 3-1 home Test series victory AFP a comeback after conceding. with Root, who won the toss, un- against South Africa. Madrid “We have to recover quickly, the beaten on 103. Roach produced a superbly sharp league is on the horizon,” said Valverde, Former captain Alastair Cook was delivery that pitched on middle ahead of Barca’s La Liga opener against closing in on a century of his own at stump and clipped the top of off to eal Madrid shrugged off the Real Betis on Sunday. 85 not out. clean bowl Stoneman and leave Eng- absence of the suspended Shorn of Neymar after his world The skippers past and present had land 14 for one. Cristiano Ronaldo to cruise record breaking transfer to Paris Saint- added an unbroken 176 for the third Westley, still to cement his place past rivals Barcelona 2-0 in Germain and injured captain Andres wicket. at number three, was then lbw on Rthe second leg of the Spanish Super Iniesta, Barca’s star front two lacked They had joined forces with Eng- review after missing a drive off fi rst- Cup to cap a 5-1 aggregate win. the service needed to make a meaning- land faltering at 39 for two after Test change Miguel Cummins, with re- Ronaldo was slapped with a fi ve- ful impact. debutant Mark Stoneman and Tom plays showing the ball would have game ban for pushing the referee after “In three days we fi nd ourselves Westley were both dismissed for smashed into the middle and leg he was sent off in the fi rst leg, but his against the ropes,” added Valverde. eight. stumps. replacement Marco Asensio enhanced “Things have happened in pre-season But from then on the West Indies But Cook, who had a lucky break his reputation as one of world football’s that have aff ected the balance of the team found life tough against two proven when he edged West Indies captain rising stars as he smashed Madrid into and our job is to refi nd that balance.” world-class batsmen. Jason Holder through a gap in the the lead after just four minutes. Indeed, the scoreline could have Root’s fi fty was his 11th in succes- slips, and Root repaired the damage Karim Benzema then deservedly been a lot more embarrassing for Barca sive Tests — a new England record with a succession of boundaries. doubled Real’s lead before half-time. as Marcelo dragged wide before Lucas and just one shy of South Africa star Just before the lunch interval left- Barca responded with a more spirited Vazquez hit the post with a glorious AB de Villiers’s all-time leading mark hander Cook, England’s all-time second-half showing and were unfor- chance. of 12. leading Test run-scorer, completed a tunate not to at least pull a goal back The hosts fi nally doubled their lead But while his conversion rate of 74-ball fi fty including 10 fours. as Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez hit the Barcelona’s Luis Suarez grimaces during the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup six minutes before the break when fi fties into hundreds has sometimes Root followed Cook to the land- woodwork. match against Real Madrid in Madrid on Wednesday. (AFP) Benzema nipped in front of Umtiti and been a source of frustration to Root, mark in 83 balls when a fl ashing cut Victory continues Madrid’s run of slotted past Ter Stegen. this time the Yorkshireman went on off opposing skipper Holder fl ew success under Zinedine Zidane with time we play it shows,” added Zidane. However, he rejected suggestions he An 11:00pm kick-off time meant to score his 13th century in 58 career through the slip cordon for four. the European champions now having “We have to try to continue like this. is now ahead of Bale in Zidane’s peck- half-time saw Wednesday turn to Tests. But there was no luck involved lifted seven trophies in the 20 months To start the season like this is very ing order. “I am working to have as Thursday and Barca did at least salvage The fi fth day/night Test worldwide when Root drove Holder straight since the Frenchman took charge. good, but we know a long season is just many minutes as possible on the fi eld. some pride in the early morning with an saw Root win the toss under blue down the ground. “We played a great match tonight,” starting.” “I am happy on both a collective and improved second-half display. skies and on a good pitch. Root, who marked his fi rst Test as said Zidane. “Especially in the fi rst half In similar fashion to his strike in individual level.” Messi was desperately unlucky not to He decided to bat fi rst, for all the captain with an innings of 190 against it was spectacular.” the fi rst leg, 21-year-old Asensio sent net a consolation goal as he hit the un- concerns about facing the pink ball South Africa at Lord’s last month, Zidane even had the luxury of leaving an unstoppable left-footed shot past BARCA ‘ON THE ROPES’ derside of the bar from a narrow angle. and the diffi culties of batting in twi- pulled off -spinner Roston Chase to fi rst-team regulars Gareth Bale, Isco Marc-Andre ter Stegen into the top Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has The visitors’ night was summed up light later on. the fi ne leg rope for a boundary that and Casemiro on the bench as Real’s corner from outside the box. suff ered the worst possible start to when Suarez headed against the post Left-hander Stoneman’s fi rst two saw him complete a 139-ball century. strength in depth was demonstrated in “I think we were superior across the his reign with back-to-back defeats with the goal gaping after Navas had scoring shots in Test cricket were Cook then ended a dominant ses- a dominant fi rst 45 minutes. whole tie,” Asensio told Spanish TV against the Catalans fi ercest rivals and parried Messi’s driven shot into his both fours. sion for England by clipping Roach “This team has hunger and every station Telecinco. the visitors never threatened to mount path. The 30-year-old eased Kemar through midwicket for four. Gulf Times 2 Friday, August 18, 2017 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT TRANSFER NEWS Dortmund deny Dembele’s sale to Real’s confi dence Barcelona is ‘close’ AFP Berlin orussia Dortmund’s contrasts with CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke yesterday rub- bished claims by Bar- Bcelona’s general manager Pep Segura that the Spanish giants were ‘close’ to signing the Ger- man club’s want-away winger Ousmane Dembele. Barca’s concern “Barcelona have not managed to fulfi l their wish to complete ‘Winning these two trophies against two great teams is not easy at all but behind Dembele’s transfer — until now, they aren’t one millimetre clos- these wins there is a hunger to keep winning. It’s great to start like this...’ er,” Watzke told German maga- File picture of Dortmund zine Kicker. midfielder Ousmane Dembele. Reuters Watzke’s comments referred to Barcelona Segura’s claim on Wednesday that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Barcelona are “close” to complet- scored a hat-trick. ing a deal for Dembele as well as Dortmund’s tough-tackling eal Madrid have outclassed Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho. defender Sokratis Papastath- Manchester United and Barce- Dembele, 20, has a contract opoulos says Dembele should lona to collect two trophies be- until 2021 and was suspended in- follow the example of Aubam- fore the season has begun, and defi nitely by Dortmund last week eyang, who has been linked to a RZinedine Zidane’s side show little sign of for skipping training in a person- big-money move to China but relenting as they begin their title defence al protest to pressure the German has been told that he is staying. at Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday. club to sell him to Barcelona.