ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JANUARY 8-9, 2021 SPORTS 14

Sassuolo beat relegation-threatened Genoa Juventus win at Milan to end Rossoneri’s unbeaten run MILAN, Jan 7, (AP): AC Milan’s which lost 2-1 at Sampdoria. Juventus Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech close range after good work from early on by Sampdoria goalkeeper Emil goals from Luis Muriel, Duvan Zapata 27-game unbeaten run in moved into fourth, seven points behind Szczsny was forced into a number of down the right Audero, after which Ashley Young and Robin Gosens to move level on ended with a 3-1 loss to Juventus that Milan with a game in hand. A loss for saves before Milan leveled four min- flank. knocked the rebound off the post. points with Napoli, which lost 2-1 at gives the defending champions Juventus would have stretched Milan’s utes before the break with a rapid Both of Sampdoria’s goals were Third-place Roma moved within home to promoted Spezia. renewed hope of a 10th straight title. lead to 13 points and left the Turin scored by former Inter players to end three points of Inter with a 3-1 win at Spezia fought back from a goal scored twice for club’s nine-year stranglehold on the title Inter’s eight-match winning streak. last-place Crotone before hosting the down and Tommaso Pobega scored Juventus with American Weston hanging by a thread. SOCCER Antonio Candreva put Sampdoria Nerazzurri on Sunday. the winner despite his side having McKennie adding the third goal as Both Milan and Juventus had play- ahead with a penalty before Keita Inter’s only other league loss this been reduced to 10 men following a Milan lost in the league for the first ers ruled out with the coronavirus Baldé Diao finished off a well-worked season came in mid-October, when it second yellow card for defender time since March, a streak dating back while the home side was also missing counterattack that ended with Rafael counterattack before the break. was defeated 2-1 in the Milan derby. Ardian Ismajli. to last season. several through injury, including key Leão rolling the ball across for pulled one back for Sassuolo beat relegation-threatened Also, Lazio defeated Fiorentina 2-1 Davide Calabria had equalized forward Zlatan Ibrahimović. Calabria to place into the top right Inter with a header in the 65th but the Genoa 2-1 with a late header from with goals from Felipe Caicedo and shortly before halftime for Milan, Chiesa hit the post before opening corner. visitors’ sorely lacked a fully fit Gianluca Raspadori to move into . which had been the last unbeaten team the scoring in the 18th minute, strok- Chiesa restored Juve’s lead in the , who came on only fourth, holding on to the final Hellas Verona drew 1-1 at Torino; in any of Europe’s top five leagues. ing ’s backheeled flick 62nd minute but went off seconds for the final half hour as he returns Champions League spot. Filippo Inzaghi’s promoted Benevento Milan still maintained its league lead, into the bottom left corner following a later with an injury. His replacement, from injury. Atalanta remained one point further squad won 2-1 at Cagliari; and a point above city rival Inter Milan, swift one-two with the Argentine. McKennie, scored in the 76th from Alexis Sanchez had a penalty saved back after defeating Parma 3-0 with Bologna drew 2-2 with Udinese. City advance to Cup ‘final’ Another painful semis loss for United

LONDON, Jan 7, (AP): “City can score many great goals, and you can accept that,” said United Another English League manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, “but Cup final for Manchester when you concede from two set City. Another painful semi- plays, simple ones that we should have cleared, you’re very disap- final loss for Manchester pointed.” United. City repeated their win over United City beat fierce rivals United 2-0 in last season’s semifinals, which were at Old Trafford thanks to second- played over two legs in contrast to this half goals by John Stones and year’s one-match shootout. Fernandinho, setting up a meeting That was one of three semifinal defeats for Solskjaer’s team in 2020, with Tottenham in the League Cup along with the FA Cup and Europa final at Wembley Stadium on April League. 25. “We’re getting closer,” Solskjaer For City manager Pep Guardiola, said. “This is a much better version of that means another head-to-head Man United compared to a year ago in with long-time coaching adversary those semis. That’s positive, but it’s Jose Mourinho, who is looking to not enough.” end Tottenham’s 13-year trophy City, though, were the superior drought. team - Solskjaer said as much - and had the better of the chances in open play, with Kevin De Bruyne hitting SOCCER the post with a fierce shot from the edge of the area in the first half and Riyad Mahrez bringing a fine, tipped City have no such issues. They have save over the crossbar out of United a chance for a fourth straight title - and goalkeeper Dean Henderson after the AC Milan’s Rafael Leao (left), duels for the ball with Juventus’ during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Juventus at the a sixth in eight seasons - in a competi- break. San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy on Jan 6. (AP) tion which the team have virtually Stones’ goal continues the impres- made their own. sive rebound of his City career that “We achieved something incredi- looked over just six months ago. De Villiers wins fifth stage ble,” Guardiola said. “I know the Settled once again in his personal life, (League) Cup is not the Champions he has regained his place at center League, but four times in a row reach- back and put in an assured perfor- ing the final is impressive.” mance alongside the excellent Ruben Peterhansel increases overall lead in Dakar Rally An open, end-to-end match, which Dias to repel what has been one of the started with three goals getting disal- Premier League’s most potent attacks JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, Jan 7, (AP): lowed for offside in the opening 24 in recent weeks. Stephane Peterhansel increased his minutes, was settled by goals from U.S. goalkeeper Zak Steffen, who overall lead in the Dakar Rally on a set-pieces. again started for City with Ederson out treacherous fifth stage won by Giniel PSG draw in Mauricio Pochettino’s first game Stones bundled the ball into the net after contracting the coronavirus, off his waist from an inswinging free de Villiers on Thursday. PARIS, Jan 7, (AP): Mauricio Pochettino’s first game in Lyon totally dominated the first half against Lens and tipped over a curling shot by Bruno Peterhansel held off Nasser kick by Phil Foden in the 50th minute Fernandes in the ninth minute. But late charge of Paris Saint-Germain ended in a tame 1-1 draw Depay made the breakthrough in the 39th, when he to put City ahead inside an empty sta- Al-Attiyah, who won the previous at Saint-Etienne as leaders Lyon moved three points latched onto a defense-splitting pass from pressure from United didn’t yield any dium. clear-cut openings as City comfortably three stages, by more than two minutes clear by beating Lens 3-2 at home. Lucas Paqueta and finished confidently. over the 456-kilometer (284-mile) spe- Fernandinho, the 35-year-old saw the game out. Lyon made it 15 games unbeaten with Memphis It took Lyon less than one minute to double its lead Brazilian starting ahead of Rodri in After starting the season slowly, cial between Riyadh and Al Qaisumah Depay scoring twice, but PSG still jumped up to second following the break, when a cross from right back Leo in eastern Saudi Arabia. central midfield, secured the win with City are hitting top form, with this win place on goal difference because Lille lost 2-1 at home Dubois led to a clumsy own goal from defender Steven a volley from the edge of the area that over United coming three days after a The Frenchman, the record seven- to Angers. “I am disappointed. We are PSG and we Fortes. Maxwell Cornet was then fouled in the box time champion in cars, was third on crept inside the post following a weak 3-1 victory at Chelsea in the league wanted to win,” said Pochettino, who replaced Thomas when put clean through by the impressive Paqueta, and headed clearance by United right back and a 4-1 triumph at Arsenal in the Tuchel after he was fired late last month. “This is not the Depay converted his sixth penalty of the campaign from Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Cup just before Christmas. RALLYING result that we wanted.” a short run up in the 52nd. Pochettino’s tenure got off to a bad start when veteran Florian Sotoca pulled a fine goal back with a curler winger Romain Hamouma put Saint-Etienne ahead in into the top right corner, and Cheick Doucoure ensured the stage, followed by Al-Attiyah, and the 19th minute, after PSG midfielder Idrissa Gueye lost a nervy finish with a late second goal for Lens. led the Qatari overall by more than six the ball near the penalty area. It was the 100th league “Everyone thought it was going to be an easy win for minutes. goal Hamouma has been involved in, with 57 goals and us, but I was worried this would be a difficult game,” “It was not beautiful landscape and 43 assists. Lyon coach Rudi Garcia said. “But our unbeaten run not nice to drive, but it was a really Striker Moise Kean equalized soon after when he was continues and I congratulate the players for that.” selective stage like it always is on the teed up by midfielder Marco Verratti. In northern France, Lille was 2-0 down after 11 min- Dakar,” Peterhansel said. Kean then shot over the bar with 20 minutes left, just utes against Angers, with midfielder Romain Thomas In third was defending champion moments after Saint-Etienne striker Denis Bouanga grabbing both, before veteran Turkey striker Burak Carlos Sainz, one of many who made headed against the woodwork. Yilmaz pulled one back in the 41st. a navigation error early. Sainz lost 13 minutes and fell 48 minutes behind the overall pace. Nobody else was within fourth overall but crashed after 20 Motorbike riders were also not GPS, and still prevailed. an hour of the lead. kilometers, broke his collarbone, and immune to navigation problems in the “There was a lot of pain today. But De Villiers reminded the race of his was airlifted to a Riyadh hospital. first 80 kilometers. The list included it’s like that, this is the Dakar,” skill in leading the stony stage with Mathieu Serradori started sixth overall Joan Barreda (started second overall), Benavides said. tough dunes in the second half. The and also fell out of contention when he Pablo Quintanilla (10th), Adrien van Jose Ignacio Cornejo was second on 2009 champion and seven-time podi- broke down for four hours. Beveren (11th), Daniel Sanders (14th), the stage, and Lorenzo Santolino third. um finisher managed a slow puncture Sainz and Sebastien Loeb, the nine- and Franco Caimi (18th). Only Sanders They rose into the top six. brilliantly and came home a minute time world rally champion, also went and Caimi improved their positions. Xavier de Soultrait dropped from ahead of a fellow South African, Brian off course. Loeb started with a five- Kevin Benavides of Argentina won leader to second overall, 2-1/2 minutes Baragwanath. But de Villiers improved minute time penalty, lost 30 minutes the stage and took the overall lead, the back, followed by Cornejo, two-time Manchester United’s Fred17, (left), and Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez in the overall to only two hours behind getting back on course, 10 more min- sixth different leader in six days. champion Toby Price, 2017 champ Sam (center), fight for the ball during the English League Cup semifinal soccer Peterhansel. utes in the race, and dropped behind by Benavides crashed jumping a dune and Sunderland, and Santolino, who had to match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford in Henk Lategan started the stage 1 hour, 40 minutes. broke his nose, his helmet and his abandon his previous two Dakars. Manchester, England on Jan 6. (AP)