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Pakistan’s modest Alex Ferguson’s world champion autobiography 16 —the best bits WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2013 18 Vatican fields cricket club as sport and faith merge Page 15 MILAN: AC Milan’s Brazilian forward Robinho (right) fights for the ball with Barcelona’s defender Gerard Pique during the Champions League football match. — AFP Milan salvage draw against Barca MILAN: AC Milan survived a dominant second-half right was handled by Kaka but Messi’s curling Constant’s long cross had sent him clear. display by Barcelona to deprive the Spanish giants effort was wide of target. Barcelona were more compact and their high of their third successive Champions League Group Messi edged closer with a shot across goal pressing was causing Milan problems-Amelia had H win in a pulsating 1-1 draw at the San Siro yester- which forced Amelia down low, but the to perform heroics to keep out Iniesta’s shot from day. The draw leaves Barcelona top on seven points Argentinian made no mistake when Milan made inside the area after the midfielder had been sent Lewandowski ruins with Milan in second on five. their own blunder in midfield. through. Balotelli replaced Robinho in the 64th Massimiliano Allegri’s Milan side had been hit An overhit pass gave Andres Iniesta possession minute and was unclucky not to get a touch on Wenger’s birthday with several injuries with striker Mario Balotelli and after he threaded a long ball through Messi Constant’s fierce drive. starting on the bench due to a recent thigh prob- deftly skipped half-challenges by Phillipe Mexes Barely a minute later a superb cross from Alves lem. and Kevin Constant to shoot low inside Amelia’s found Adriano deep in the area but the left-back’s LONDON: Robert Lewandowski ruined Lewandowski seized the loose ball and Lionel Messi had been suffering from a similar left-hand post. Mexes then sent a header just wide first-time effort curled wide of Amelia’s post. Arsene Wenger’s birthday as the Borussia flicked a pass to Mkhitaryan, who took problem but started for the Spanish giants and, of the post from a corner with Valdes beaten, but Urby Emanuelson replaced the tiring Kaka with Dortmund striker’s late goal clinched a 2- one touch before driving a low strike past after levelling Robinho’s ninth-minute opener for the Barca ‘keeper was not alone in showing some 19 minutes remaining, with Cesc Fabregas replac- 1 win against Arsenal in the Champions Wojciech Szczesny. the Rossoneri in the 23rd minute proved a thorn in nerves. ing Sanchez. Fabregas came close when he got his League yesterday. To their credit that setback sparked a Milan’s side all night. When Alves hit a cross towards the far post head to Messi’s free kick following a foul by Arsenal manager Wenger turned 64 strong response from Arsenal and they Barcelona started sluggishly and Marco Amelia, Amelia was left scrambling before Cristian Zapata’s Muntari on Sergio Busquets but Amelia was quick yesterday but Lewandowski played the appealed for a penalty when Giroud was replacing the injured Christian Abbiati in the Milan leg blocked out Messi’s dangerous-looking first- to collect. Valter Birsa came off for Andrea Poli with party pooper as he netted a 82nd-minute cynically tripped by Mats Hummels, but goal, had had little to do early on. Moments after timer. Amelia did better minutes later while block- 10 minutes remaining while Neymar was replaced winner at the Emirates Stadium to shatter the foul was just outside the area. the ‘keeper’s first touch, Robinho gave Milan a ing Sanchez’s first-time effort and Zapata rescued by Pedro Rodriguez. Arsenal’s 100 percent record in Group F Hummels foiled Arsenal again just deserved lead. Milan again, the Colombian sticking close to Messi The intensity of both sides evaporated in the and end their 12-match unbeaten run in before half-time when he alertly cleared The Brazilian won possession from Gerard Pique as he hit a first-time shot from close in. dying minutes, however, although Muntari was left all competitions. Tomas Rosicky’s goalbound shot off the after a mix-up with Javier Mascherano and held off Barely a minute later Neymar was denied what lamenting a scoring chance when he stumbled and The Gunners trailed to Henrikh line, but Arsenal’s pressure was soon the big defender to slip the ball to Kaka, whose would have been a wonderful goal when he sent failed to capitalise after being sent through. Mkhitaryan’s early strike, but France strik- rewarded with an equaliser. return ball found Robinho six yards out and free to an angled half-volley just wide. Barcelona kept pressing, however, and er Olivier Giroud equalised before half- Ramsey spread play wide to Bacary fire the ball past Victor Valdes. Barcelona started the second half brighter but Milan survived a late scare when Mexes head- time. Sagna and the French defender whipped Barcelona’s first real chance came from a free Robinho spurned a golden chance to put the hosts ed out a probing cross for a corner in the final However, Poland’s Lewandowski had over a teasing cross from the right. Neven kick on 18 minutes after Dani Alves’s cross from the ahead when he completely missed the ball after minutes. — AFP the final word with a typically predatory Subotic got only the slightest of touches finish that underlined why he is one of as he slid in to clear, but it was enough to the most coveted strikers in the world. distract Roman Weidenfeller, who had Centurion Torres hits brace in Chelsea win Dortmund’s win lifted them level with come off his line to claim the cross, and Arsenal and Napoli on six points in a the Dortmund keeper allowed the ball to GELSENKIRCHEN: Fernando Torres Back at the ground where his Porto three-way tie at the top of the group deflect off him into the path of Giroud, marked his 100th start for Chelsea side beat Monaco in the 2004 heading into their return meeting with leaving him with the simple task of firing with a brace in a 3-0 win away to Champions League final, Chelsea the Premier League leaders on November into the unguarded net for his seventh Schalke yesterday as Jose Mourinho’s coach Mourinho made a raft of 6. Arsenal had been the dominant force in goal of the season. side safely negotiated a tough test in changes to the team that beat Cardiff their previous two group stage wins over Arsenal remained on top for much of Champions League Group E. Schalke City 4-1 at the weekend. Torres Marseille and Napoli, but Dortmund pro- the second half but, with Mesut Ozil rela- were punished for slack defending as returned to the starting line-up along vided a far sterner test and the Gunners tively subdued in midfield, they lacked Torres opened the scoring in the fifth with German international Andre minute and, as the hosts pushed for- Schuerrle, while Cesar Azpilicueta was failed their exam. the killer pass to break down Dortmund ward in search of an equaliser, the surprisingly selected as a left-back. Back in London for the first time since again. Spaniard netted again at the end of a Schalke came into the game hav- last season’s painful Champions League Wenger responded by sending on second-half breakaway. ing lost just once in their last 10 out- final defeat against Bayern Munich at Santi Cazorla for Jack Wilshere, the The oft-maligned forward might ings — and that against Bayern Wembley, Jurgen Klopp’s classy side England midfielder who looked com- even have had a hat-trick, but he hit Munich - but they were unconvincing seized control in the early stages with pletely out of sorts in a wide attacking the woodwork with a header and in Saturday’s 3-2 victory at Eintracht some fluid passing and a high-tempo role, and the change almost reaped an Eden Hazard ignored the chance to Braunschweig and they paid the price pressing game that stopped Arsenal instant reward when the Spanish substi- pass to the Spaniard when he went for a lack of concentration by falling establishing any rhythm. Dortmund tute fired a first-time strike onto the cross- through alone to seal the win late on. behind with just five minutes on the winger Marco Reus went close to opening bar from long-range. Chelsea were deserving winners as clock. With the Schalke defence sleep- the scoring with a dipping strike that Dortmund were showing signs of los- they comfortably soaked up every- ing, Branislav Ivanovic headed on a fizzed just wide from the edge of the area. ing their cool and Lewandowski escaped thing that Schalke threw at them in left-wing Frank Lampard corner and GERMANY: Chelsea’s John Terry (left) is tackled by Schalke’s Kevin-Prince With Mathieu Flamini sidelined due to with a yellow card after catching Laurent Gelsenkirchen, and the London club Torres popped up at the back post to Boateng during the Champions League Group E soccer match. — AP a concussion sustained in Saturday’s 4-1 Koscielny with a flailing elbow. now find themselves level with convert. interval. It was almost 2-0 six minutes hopes they had of obtaining a positive win over Norwich, Wenger had recalled That proved a crucial moment as Schalke on six points at the top of the Schalke enjoyed much of the pos- after the restart when Torres rose result were ended three minutes later Aaron Ramsey, but the Welsh midfielder’s Lewandowski made the most of his group after Basel were held 1-1 away session after that but they did not real- unmarked 14 yards out to head a when the Premier League side dou- first significant contribution completely reprieve with eight minutes remaining.