10-man Milan Wasteful Porto resist Ajax to eliminated by book19 last 16 Atletico19 defeat THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2013 Qatar ready for winter or summer World Cup Page 18 BARCELONA: FC Barcelona’s Neymar (left) duels for the ball against Celtic’s goalkeeper Fraser Foster (below) during a Champions League soccer match group H yesterday. — AP Neymar nets hat-trick, Barca crush Celtic to the perfect start when he slammed home Despite being already assured of a place in forward with ease. precise finish into the top corner from 20 from close range after Celtic keeper Fraser the last 16, Barca boss Gerardo Martino sent And the only surprise was that it took until yards. Barcelona 6 Forster had done well to deny Alexis Sanchez. out the message that he didn’t want a repeat the 39th minute for the La Liga leaders to And the 21-year-old then embarrassed Neymar then produced a magical piece of of the lacklustre performance that saw the double their advantage as Neymar skipped Ambrose once more as he nutmegged the skill to ghost past Efe Ambrose to set up Catalans beaten 2-1 away to Ajax in their last past Ambrose on the right side of the area Nigerian before rolling the ball past a helpless Pedro for the second and rounded off a fine Champions League outing as he named a before squaring for Pedro to slot home. Forster. Neymar ought to have had his fourth Celtic 1 team move with the simplest of finishes to strong side. Barca could even have gone in Neymar then scored his first Champions of the night 26 minutes from time when he make it 3-0 a minute before half-time. The front inside three minutes as only a last-ditch League goal just before the break as a lovely rounded Forster only for Pedro to take the ball Brazilian striker then added a brilliant fourth challenge from Virgil Van Dijk prevented Xavi move involving Sanchez, Sergi Roberto and off his teammate and fire the ball of Van Dijk with a curling finish after a one-two with Xavi from having a clear sight of goal. However, Martin Montoya found the later in behind the with the whole goal to aim at. Substitute Tello BARCELONA: Neymar scored his first before completing his hat-trick with an indi- the reprieve only last a further four minutes Celtic defense and he rolled the ball into did add a sixth as his shot from outside the Barcelona hat-trick as the Catalans secured vidual effort 10 minutes later. Cristian Tello for the visitors as Pique coolly volleyed home Neymar’s path to slot into an unguarded net. area deflected in off a stary Celtic leg. However, top spot in Group H of the Champions League made it 6-0 with a deflected strike 18 minutes his second goal of the season. Forster had to The flurry of goals continued after the restart there was time for Celtic to salvage some pride with a 6-1 thrashing of Celtic at the Camp from time before Georgious Samaras pulled be alive to deny Pique his second midway as Neymar got his second of the evening just as Samaras headed home Charlie Mulgrew’s Nou yesterday. Gerard Pique got the hosts off one back for the Scottish champions. through the half as Barca continued to swarm three minutes into the second period with a free-kick a minute from time.— AFP Napoli agonizingly crash out Chelsea retain top spot knockout stages for the 14th year in suc- cession. Napoli, meanwhile, miss out on a Napoli 2 place in the last 16 as the losers in a three- Bucharest’s Daniel Georgievski, way tie at the top of a remarkably compet- bundling the ball into the net from vir- itive group, and will have to settle for the Chelsea 1 tually on the line for just his third goal consolation of Europa League football in of the season. Yet Mourinho had been the New Year. It was a sore one for Rafael vexed by Chelsea’s careless defending Arsenal 0 Benitez’s side, and another blow for the after they conceded six goals in two prestige of Italian football after Juventus Steaua 0 matches against Sunderland and were eliminated earlier in the day. Stoke last week. NAPLES: Arsenal qualified for the last 16 Beaten 2-0 by Arsenal in London in And he was given more reason for of the Champions League despite losing 2- October, Napoli knew that, to be sure of concern when Chelsea’s defense part- 0 away to Napoli yesterday, while the qualification, they had to win by three LONDON: Demba Ba ensured Chelsea ed with alarming ease moments after Italian side agonizingly miss out. Gonzalo clear goals, and their task was not helped finished top of Champions League his side took the lead. Gabriel Iancu Higuain and Jose Callejon both scored in by the absence of both Slovakian creator Group E as the Senegal striker clinched surged clear of John Terry and looked the second half either side of Mikel Marek Hamsik and goalkeeper Pepe a 1-0 win over Steaua Bucharest yester- odds on to score, only to drag his shot Arteta’s sending-off, but Borussia Reina. Brazilian Rafael Cabral made his day. Jose Mourinho’s side had already wide with just Schwarzer to beat. Dortmund’s dramatic late 2-1 win in Champions League debut in place of qualified for the last 16 of Europe’s elite Branislav Ivanovic almost doubled Marseille saw them go through as winners Reina, as Napoli, whose recent form has club competition, but they needed a Chelsea’s lead midway through the of Group F ahead of Arsenal and pushed been patchy, looked to keep a clean victory in their final group fixture at first half, but the Serb’s powerful head- Napoli into third place. sheet for the first time in nine outings. Stamford Bridge to guarantee first er from Eden Hazard’s cross was The Premier League leaders did just The hosts knew they had to attack and place. tipped over by Ciprian Tatarusanu. Ba enough in the heated atmosphere of the they started with intent. However, their Ba’s first half goal was enough to should have delivered the knockout San Paolo stadium, with Napoli needing to only attempt of any real note in the open- blow early in the second half, but he win by three goals to be certain of qualify- fulfil that ambition and, while Chelsea ing stages was a Goran Pandev shot that were some way from their best, this somehow managed to lift his close- ing, and Arsene Wenger’s side can look for- was blocked by visiting goalkeeper range effort well over the bar from ward to playing in the Champions League fairly forgettable encounter could yet Wojciech Szczesny. — AFP prove a significant stepping stone if Willian’s cross. they go on to have a successful LONDON: Chelsea’s English defender John Terry (right) vies for the ball Steaua’s total lack of goal threat European campaign. Mourinho with Steaua Bucharest’s Italian forward Federico Piovaccari during the ensured Chelsea rarely needed to Teams qualified for last 16 claimed on Monday that Chelsea were UEFA Champions League group E football match yesterday. — AFP overly exert themselves in a moribund unlikely to win the Champions League beaten by Stoke, with Australian goal- albeit against one of the weaker second period. Substitute Andre PARIS: Teams through to Monday’s draw for Qualified as group runners-up: this season because the squad is still a keeper Mark Schwarzer finally making defences Chelsea will face this season. Schurrle injected some life into the the last 16 of the Champions League after the Bayer Leverkusen (GER) work in progress in the first season of his Champions League debut, while Oscar came close to opening with closing stages when he jinked into the conclusion of the group stage yesterday: Galatasaray (TUR) penalty area and tested Tatarusanu Olympiakos (GRE) his second spell at the Bridge. England left-back Ashley Cole barely five minutes played when he Manchester City (ENG) But that sounded suspiciously like returned after a spell on the sidelines. ghosted through the Steaua defense with a low strike. Tatarusanu could Qualified as group winners: only push the ball back into the six- Manchester United (ENG) Schalke (GER) kidology from the Chelsea boss in a Schwarzer became the oldest and flashed a shot just wide from the Arsenal (ENG) bid to ease the pressure on his players, Champions League debutant at 41 edge of the penalty area. yard box, but Hazard was unable to Real Madrid (ESP) Zenit St Petersburg (RUS) Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) who should benefit from a significant- years and 66 days, and also the sec- It took Chelsea just 11 minutes to capitalise on the rebound as the AC Milan (ITA) Belgian headed over. Ba had a strike Bayern Munich (GER) NB: Group winners and runners-up will be kept ly easier draw in the last 16 now they ond oldest player ever in the break down Steaua’s feeble resistance. Chelsea (ENG) apart in last 16 draw. Teams have finished top of their group. After Champions League. Mourinho was Oscar took advantage of Steaua’s slop- ruled out by a debatable offside call in Borussia Dortmund (GER) who were in same section in group stage and Saturday’s surprise defeat at Stoke, unhappy with his strikers’ lack of goals py marking and rose to head Willian’s the closing moments, but it was Atletico Madrid (ESP) teams from same country cannot face Mourinho opted to rest Petr Cech as following the Stoke loss, but his criti- corner towards the far post, where Ba already mission accomplished for each other in last 16.