Sports FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2016 46 Higuain strikes but Lyon keeps Juventus waiting TURIN: Gonzalo Higuain struck a first-half penalty but dominant Juventus failed to book their Champions League last 16 ticket after being stunned by Corentin Tolisso’s late leveller in a 1-1 draw with Lyon on Wednesday. The Italian champions looked to be head- ing for a 1-0 win after Higuain stepped up to beat Anthony Lopes from the spot before the quarter hour. But despite being outplayed for long periods, Lyon refused to give in and were finally rewarded when Tolisso bundled the ball past Gianluigi Buffon from a long free kick with six minutes left on the clock. Sevilla’s win against Dinamo Zagreb means Juventus dropped to second place in Group H to sit two points behind the Spaniards and are now just four ahead of Lyon with two games remaining. But Juventus Massimiliano Allegri refused to see the glass half-full. “We missed a few chances but for me this is a posi- tive result,” said Allegri. “We’re still fighting for first place in the group and nothing has been decided yet. The Champions League is long.” Lyon created the first chance of the night, Buffon forced to block Maciej Rybus’s angled drive with both legs at his near post on eight minutes after a slick one-two with Alexandre Lacazette. But it served as a wake-up call to the Italian champions, who should have wrapped up the match TURIN: Juventus’ forward Gonzalo Higuain kicks and scores a penalty against Lyon’s Portuguese goalkeeper Anthony by the end of the first half after Higuain spurned a Lopes during the UEFA Champions League football match Juventus vs Olympique Lyonnais on November 2, 2016 at the golden chance to add to his opener. Juventus stadium. — AFP A great first touch from Dani Alves from Leonardo Bonucci’s long cross set Mario Mandzukic for a quick strike from 18 yards that Lopes did well to block down low with his body on 11 minutes. Lyon coach Bruno Madrid held by Legia Genesio had opted for youth at the centre of his defence, 19-year-old Mouctar Diakhaby given just his second Champions League start alongside 20-year- old Argentine Emanuel Mammana. But mistakes from in six-goal thriller both players could have proved costly. WARSAW: Real Madrid blew a two-goal deposited into the bottom corner by effort slip under him for the equaliser Failed to capitalize lead and the chance to qualify for the Benzema. “We are not happy with the just before the hour mark. Real awoke A slight push from Diakhaby on Stefano Sturaro as knockout stages of the Champions result and we need to learn from this from their slumber as Arkadiusz Malarz he awaited Higuain’s through ball on the left was League in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Legia and bounce back stronger,” added Bale. parried another fierce Bale volley before enough to send the Italian to the turf. Referee Bjorn Warsaw behind closed doors in the “I think we had control of the game at 2- an off-colour Cristiano Ronaldo headed Kuipers pointed immediately to the spot and Higuain Polish capital. Gareth Bale fired home 0 and just lost concentration. “This hap- a great chance just wide. stepped up to send Lopes the wrong way. Juventus Madrid’s fastest ever Champions League pens in football. If you do this at this lev- Yet, Madrid were caught out on the were being given acres of space, but on more than goal after just 55 seconds before teeing el you get punished.” counter-attack seven minutes from time up Karim Benzema for Real’s second. Legia hit back with a stunning effort when Moulin looked to have sealed the one occasion, Massimiliano Allegri’s men failed to However, Legia launched a stunning of their own as Odjidja-Ofoe finished off most unlikeliest of comebacks when his capitalize. Sturaro’s smart lay off for Claudio Marchisio fightback as goals from Vadis Odjidja- a fine individual effort by firing into the curling effort clipped the post on its way saw the midfielder’s first time effort shaved Lopes’ Ofoe, Miroslav Radovic and Thibault top corner. Madrid have now not kept a past a helpless Navas. Real responded near post before the half hour. Moulin put the Polish champions on the clean sheet in 10 games and Zidane’s immediately as Kovacic drilled Dani Six minutes later Lopes was forced out to thwart verge of a famous victory. decision to play an ultra offensive 4-2-4 Carvajal’s backheel into the bottom cor- Mandzukic as he tried to reach Sami Khedira’s Mateo Kovacic salvaged some pride formation backfired after the break as ner. And Madrid could even have sal- through ball and after Mandzukic did well to steal and a now 27-game unbeaten run for their lack of numbers in defence was vaged all three points deep into stop- possession from Mammana as he headed back the European champions when he slot- exposed. Goalkeeper Keylor Navas was page time when substitute Lucas towards goal, Higuain somehow skied the Croat’s lay- ted home five minutes from time. “It also to blame when he let Radovic’s low Vazquez smashed the crossbar. —AFP off. Juve’s profligacy continued after the break, when was strange with the stadium being a superb Bonucci long ball from deep in midfield empty, but it is no excuse,” Bale told found Miralem Pjanic behind the Lyon defence. The BeIN Sports Spain. “We need to be bet- Bosnian’s unselfish header back towards Mandzukic ter defensively and with our chances set it up nicely, but with absolutely no pressure he we need to be more clinical.” A draw means Madrid now trail Borussia skewed his effort wide. Dortmund by two points at the top of Allegri replaced a battle-weary Pjanic with Brazilian Group F with two games to play. midfielder Alex Sandro and Mehdi Benatia came on Dortmund qualified for the last 16 with for Leaonardo Bonucci on 68 minutes. Moments later, a 1-0 win over Sporting Lisbon in the Sandro broke down the left to set up Higuain for a other game in the group. bundled shot from the edge of the box. At the other “I am the one responsible for all end, Buffon had the imposing physique of Andrea this,” said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane. Barzagli to thank when he got down to block Maxime “In the end we didn’t lose and that is Gonalons’ drive after a puzzled-looking Sturaro some- the good thing for us, but it is a strange how lost possession with the ball at his feet. sensation.” In front of an empty stadi- Allegri replaced a tiring Higuain with Juan um due to Legia’s sanction for violence Cuadrado with seven minutes remaining with the and racist chanting in their 6-0 thrash- hope the speedy Colombian, who hit the winner at ing by Dortmund in September, Bale Lyon a fortnight ago, would conjure a late goal. But a celebrated his new bumper six-year Madrid deal in style by rifling a volley minute later the stadium was stunned into silence into the top corner. when Buffon was well and truly beat by Tolisso’s late header. But for Genesio, it may be too little too late. ‘Lost concentration’ “I’m satisfied with our performance but it will be diffi- A comfortable night looked in store WARSAW: Real Madrid’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (C) goes down cult for us to qualify,” he said. “I’m disappointed in for the visitors when a brilliant team after a challenge by Legia Warsaw’s Czech defender Adam Hlousek (L) and Legia that sense because we could have snatched three move saw Kovacic feed Bale on the right Warsaw’s defender Jakub Rzezniczak vie for the ball during the UEFA Champions points.”— AFP side of the area and his cut-back was League group F football match Legia Warsaw vs Real Madrid CF. — AFP .