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Hawks, Rockets Ireland hold advance nerve to edge past Zimbabwe SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015 16 19 John Terry, the last of England’s football legends? Page 17 SPAIN: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal (left) duels for the ball with Athletic Bilbao’s Carlos Gurpegi during their La Liga soccer match, at San Mames stadium. — AP Real stumble to defeat in Bilbao MADRID: Real Madrid’s poor form in 2015 continued as Gorka Iraizoz then had to turn a dangerous cross bolster the Italian’s position. led by president Florentino Perez are said to feel that they were beaten 1-0 by Athletic Bilbao at San Mames from Bale out of Ronaldo’s reach before diving to his They are two points clear at the top of La Liga and while Ancelotti is on good terms with the players he yesterday. Aritz Aduriz scored the only goal of the game right to save a low effort from Isco. Iraizoz was quick off well placed to progress to the Champions League lacks authority when necessary. midway through the first-half with a thumping header his line once more to deny Benzema from a narrow quarter-finals with a 2-0 win at Schalke 04 in their last He lost a lot of credit due to the manner of Real’s 4- from Mikel Rico’s cross. angle as the pressure from the visitors built. 16 first leg but they are not playing with the same 0 hammering by local rivals Atletico Madrid last Madrid’s third defeat in 11 league games means that Yet, they could have found themselves two behind gusto as earlier in the campaign. month. The team again failed to rise to the occasion Barcelona can move one point clear at the top of the 15 minutes from time when another prodigious leap Fans and the Madrid media alike have been harsh last weekend when they drew 1-1 at home to a table with victory over Rayo Vallecano today. and header from Aduriz came back off the outside of in their criticism of the side and that puts extra signifi- Villarreal side that had rested players ahead of their Athletic came into the game on a high having quali- the post. Seven minutes from time it was Madrid that cance on the Clasico against second-placed Barcelona King’s Cup semi-final with Barcelona. fied for the Copa del Rey final, where they will meet were left cursing their luck when a stunning Bale later this month. A failure to rotate the squad sufficiently has also Barcelona for the third time in seven years, in midweek. effort from fully 45 yards came off the post with During Real’s 22-match winning run they averaged been blamed for players, and in particular Toni Kroos, The hosts went in front on 26 minutes when a lovely Iraizoz beaten. more than three goals a game but now have 24 from looking weary. Kroos, in his first season since moving team move ended with Aduriz powering home a won- Meanwhile, with Real Madrid’s attack losing its the last 13 matches. from Bayern Munich, has been taken aback by the derful header from Mikel Rico’s floated cross. Madrid potency and the team faltering in crunch games the Cristiano Ronaldo has been unable to sustain the scale of expectation at the club. didn’t even manage a shot on target despite enjoying tide has started to turn surprisingly rapidly against sensational form with which he began the season and “We were in Dubai recently and that’s the kind of most of the ball in the first-half. coach Carlo Ancelotti. has a modest seven goals in 2015, while Karim place where you think you’re going a long way However, they upped the tempo significantly at the Such is the level of expectation at the Bernabeu Benzema has five and Gareth Bale three. Their com- away,” he told FIFA.com. “However, once we got start of the second period and only an amazing last-ditch that winning a coveted 10th European Cup last sea- bined total is the same as Lionel Messi’s at Barcelona. there I had the feeling that the people were even challenge from Mikel Balenziaga denied Karim Benzema son and overseeing their Spanish record 22-match Real’s poor return from league matches with their crazier, so to speak, than they are in Madrid and a certain goal from Cristiano Ronaldo’s low cross. winning streak before Christmas, has done little to direct rivals has also been highlighted and the board Spain. — Agencies Kane brace lifts Spurs Reading hold Bradford Pochettino told the BBC. “We LONDON: Giant-killers Bradford City’s encounter beneath the Yorkshire sun- showed big character against a dif- progress in the FA Cup was suspended at shine, as players from both sides strug- QPR 1 ficult opponent and on a difficult the quarter-final stage yesterday after they gled to keep the ball on the ground. stage.” were held to a 0-0 draw by Championship Both teams struck the woodwork in On Kane, he added: “It’s difficult side Reading. the first half, with Reading striker Pavel to say anything else about Harry. Third-tier Bradford memorably came Pogrebnyak hitting the left-hand post His performance today shows his Tottenham 2 from 2-0 down to win 4-2 at Chelsea in the from Jamie Mackie’s cross before Gary strength to keep working.” fourth round before eliminating Liddle’s left-wing cross drifted against an Having exited the Europa Sunderland in round five, but they were upright at the other end. League and lost to Chelsea in last taken to a replay by Reading on a muddy Bradford enjoyed the best of the sec- LONDON: Harry Kane enhanced his weekend’s League Cup final, Valley Parade pitch. Bradford manager Phil ond half, but James Hanson could not find Tottenham’s sole remaining aim is England credentials as Tottenham Parkinson, who spent 11 years at Reading the target with a near-post shot and to force their way into the top four Hotspur won 2-1 at Queens Park as a player, told BT Sport: “We have to give Andrew Davies headed a Filipe Morais Rangers yesterday to move to with- and claim a place in next season’s Champions League. Reading credit. They came here and made free-kick inches over the crossbar. in three points of the Premier it very difficult with the extra man in mid- And Reading, currently 18th in the League’s top four. The odds remain stacked LONDON: Tottenham’s Andros Townsend (center) shoots at goal field, but I thought our lads did excellent. Championship, almost snatched victory at Watched by England manager against them, but they retain hope, during the English Premier League soccer match against Queens Roy Hodgson, Kane took his season especially if Kane maintains his out- Park Rangers. — AP “They were very professional and the death when Pogrebnyak appeared to goal tally to 26 with a goal in each standing scoring form. the post in the first half. It was the simplest of opportunities in the made sure we stayed in the game. I help a deep free-kick from Oliver half, making him the country’s lead- The 21-year-old is enjoying an Kane, though, who caught the eye, 34th minute. thought we got a bit of momentum in the Norwood onto the post with his hand. ing scorer in all competitions. outstanding campaign and the twice capitalising on defensive Andros Townsend swung in a second half and were the team in the Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion Spurs old boy Sandro pulled one clamor for him to be included in errors to secure a hard-fought vic- routine free-kick from the right that ascendancy. We look forward to the face off later on Saturday in a repeat of back in the 75th minute, but Hodgson’s senior squad for this tory. The goals summed up the goalkeeper Robert Green appeared replay.” Tuesday’s Premier League game between despite a strong late penalty month’s games against Lithuania plight of the two sides, with to misjudge, allowing Kane to easi- Bradford, beaten League Cup finalists the sides, which saw Villa prevail 2-1 cour- appeal, Chris Ramsey’s QPR were and Italy will only increase after this Tottenham capable of taking the ly head home from close range. in 2013, are attempting to reach the semi- tesy of a stoppage-time penalty by unable to avoid a defeat that leaves display. Hodgson was also keeping opportunities presented to them Ramsey’s side seemed deflated finals for the first time since they won the Christian Benteke. them three points from safety in tabs on QPR’s uncapped striker while Ramsey’s men were guilty of and they would have been out of trophy in 1911, while Reading last made In-form Liverpool host second-tier the bottom three. Charlie Austin, who had scored one contributing to their own downfall. the game had Christian Eriksen’s the last four in 1927. Blackburn Rovers today, while holders “I’m very proud of our perform- more league goal than Kane com- QPR had come back into the shot not rebounded away to safety An uneven, sun-baked playing surface Arsenal travel to Manchester United in the ance,” Spurs manager Mauricio ing into this game and was unlucky game impressively after a bright off the post two minutes after the contributed to a bruising, physical tie of the round tomorrow.

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