27 Sports Thursday, February 21, 2019 Klopp ‘not over the moon’ as Bayern frustrate Liverpool Sadio Mane wasted the best chance

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admit- into trouble moments later to put pressure on Matip ted an underwhelming 0-0 draw against old foes and when he was dispossessed by Robert Bayern on Tuesday was not what he “dreamed Lewandowski, Kingsley Coman fired into the side-net- of”, but remained confident of progressing to the quar- ting. Liverpool were also posing plenty of problems at ter-finals of the Champions League. the other end, although their final ball often lacked pre- Sadio Mane wasted the best chance when the cision. “We made life more difficult with the last pass Senegalese forward fired wide during an open first 45 today about 10 or 12 times,” added Klopp. “We can minutes, but a cagey second half left it all to be decided play better and we should play better.” when the sides meet again in Munich on March 13. headed wide at the back post from However, without the talismanic presence of Virgil Trent Alexander-Arnold’s perfectly measured cross. van Dijk through suspension and the injured Mane then passed up the best chance for either side and Dejan Lovren, Liverpool at least did not concede as he shot wide on the turn after Naby Keita’s initial an away goal despite fielding a make-shift central effort was blocked by the arm of Niklas Suele. Bayern defensive pairing of Brazilian may not have hit the heights midfielder Fabinho and Joel of previous years in the Matip. “It’s not the result or Bundesliga this season as the game we dreamed of,” they trail said Klopp. “It is not a game by three points in their quest we will remember in 30 It’s not the to land a seventh straight years. It’s the result we have league title. and we will work with that. result we However, the German “It was a clean sheet without champions have made the the big man (Van Dijk). A lot dreamed of last eight of the Champions of people wouldn’t have League for each of the past expected that. The defending seven seasons and had the LIVERPOOL: Liverpool’s Guinean midfielder Naby Keita (R) misses with this overhead kick during the UEFA Champions was good. A lot of things experience to hold out for League round of 16, first leg football match between Liverpool and Bayern Munich at stadium in Liverpool, were really good, I’m not over the moon but I’m com- what they clearly saw as a valuable draw as they wound north-west England on Tuesday. — AFP pletely OK with the game.” the clock down in the final stages. That unfamiliarity in Liverpool’s defence showed in “I can’t remember that many clubs that have not but we know if we concede we have to win.” from time. Klopp’s men have lost all of their last five the early stages as the hosts started nervously at the conceded at Anfield. They way Liverpool play, they are Liverpool had 10 days off to prepare for Bayern’s Champions League games away from Anfield, including back. Matip breathed a sigh of relief when he turned a sensationally good team. My team as a whole kept visit due to their early exit in the FA Cup and looked last season’s final. Serge Gnabry’s driven cross towards his own goal only everything tight at the back,” said Bayern boss Niko the fresher side as they pressed for a winner. The return of Van Dijk will aid their chances, but that for the ball to bounce to safety off Alisson Becker’s Kovac. “We didn’t score but we didn’t let one in. Home Mane forced Manuel Neuer to produce his best save rot will need to stop in Munich in three weeks’ time if chest. However, the Brazilian goalkeeper played his side games are an advantage, we play in front of 75,000, of the night to turn a low header behind five minutes they are to reach the last eight. — AFP

That would point the finger at agents Willie and to court. Nantes believe the McKays’ work for them Sala tragedy Mark McKay, who were hired by Nantes to secure the ended when Sala’s move was transfer was completed, transfer. Willie McKay has accused Cardiff of “trying to therefore absolving them of any responsibility over the Matches on TV throw me under the bus” in an attempt to avoid paying arrangements of the flight. The Guardian reported yes- (Local Timings) sparks unsavoury the transfer fee. Speaking to The Times, Willie McKay terday that Nantes will take their case to FIFA this said his son Mark arranged the fateful flight carrying week if the £5 million instalment is not paid. “FIFA has UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE legal wrangle Sala and Ibbotson, just as he had organised several not been contacted on this matter,” world football’s flights for brokers of the deal in the weeks previously, governing body said when contacted by AFP. Arsenal FC v FK Bate Borisov 20:55 including Cardiff manager Neil Warnock. A resolution via FIFA’s players’ status committee or beIN SPORTS HD 1 LONDON: The tragedy of the plane crash that killed Willie McKay also rejected a statement from Cardiff even the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for GNK Dinamo v FC Viktoria Plzen 20:55 Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala has now entered an chairman Mehmet Dalman that the club were unaware Sport (CAS) is likely unless Cardiff relent on their cur- beIN SPORTS ugly aftermath as club Cardiff City and of who made Sala’s flight arrangements. In his pub- rent stance. “There are, in my opinion, two possible Red Bull Salzburg v Club Brugge KV 20:55 French side Nantes threaten to go to court over his £15 lished timeline of events, Willie McKay said: “Emiliano solutions,” sports lawyer Gianpaolo Monteneri, who beIN SPORTS HD 6 million ($19 million) transfer fee. was due to be met by the Cardiff City player liaison was head of FIFA’s Players’ Status Department from SSC Napoli v FC Zurich 20:55 Sala, who was buried at the age of 28 in the officer who was waiting for him to arrive at the 1997-2005, told the Press Association. Argentine village of Progreso on Saturday, never Signature Flight Support building at Cardiff Airport on “The first one is that the parties have established to beIN SPORTS HD 4 played a game for Cardiff. The plane carrying the strik- Monday evening (January 21). Cardiff City knew of the go to FIFA and, in such a case, the matter is submitted Eintracht Frankfurt v Shakhtar Donetsk 20:55 er and pilot David Ibbotson came down in the English flight and who organised the flight.” to the players’ status committee in the first instance, beIN SPORTS HD 5 Channel en route to the Welsh capital on January 21, Cardiff have also reportedly questioned Willie with the possibility of an appeal to CAS. Valencia C.F v Celtic 20:55 two days after he completed his transfer from Nantes. McKay’s practice of trying to inflate transfer fees by “But it is also possible that the parties have decided beIN SPORTS HD 2 Cardiff have so far refused to pay the first instalment fabricating interest in players from clubs. “It was us to skip FIFA and go direct to CAS.” Should Cardiff be Zenit St. Petersburg v FenerbahÁe 20:55 of the club record fee, believed to be £5 million, as they who put in the media about other clubs wanting you - found to have failed to comply with their contractual beIN SPORTS await the results of an Air Accidents Investigations West Ham, Everton etc - to create an interest on you obligations without due cause, a range of sanctions are Bureau (AAIB) investigation into the causes of the that’s what we do,” Willie McKay wrote in a letter to on offer to FIFA, according to Monteneri. Villarreal CF v Sporting CP 20:55 crash. The Telegraph reported on Sunday that Cardiff Sala that has now been made public. “If certain deadlines, which are mentioned in the beIN SPORTS HD 3 believe that if the AAIB find Ibbotson did not hold the However, that is a common, if dubious, practice transfer contract, are not met then these may trigger Internazionale Milano v SK Rapid Wien 23:00 necessary licence to carry passengers on a commercial among football agents and Cardiff’s case to use that as consequences for the club in question. “This can be beIN SPORTS HD 4 basis, then a negligence claim could be launched a reason for avoiding any part of the transfer fee is from an admonishment right up to a withdrawal of KRC Genk v SK Slavia Prague 23:00 against whoever arranged the flight. unlikely to be met with favour should the case proceed league points.” — AFP beIN SPORTS HD 6 Bayer 04 Leverkusen v FK Krasnodar 23:00 beIN SPORTS HD 5 Chelsea FC v Malmo FF 23:00 Barcelona draw beIN SPORTS HD 1 Real Betis v Stade Rennais 23:00 blank in Lyon to beIN SPORTS HD 3 Dynamo Kyiv v Olympiacos CFP 23:00 leave tie open beIN SPORTS HD 7 SL Benfica v Galatasaray SK 23:00 beIN SPORTS HD 2 LYON: Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde shrugged off his team’s struggles in front of goal after they were held to a 0-0 draw away at Lyon in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday. The Spanish side had most of the chances at the Qatar eyeing Groupama Stadium, with Luis Suarez firing just wide in the second half, although it was Lyon who came the closest when Martin Terrier hit the bar early on. Brazil friendly Lionel Messi and co. were once again left frustrat- ed on the road at the business end of the competi- tion, and have now gone six away matches without DOHA: Newly-crowned Asian Cup winners Qatar winning in the Champions League knockout rounds, could play friendlies against Brazil or Uruguay in June scoring just a single goal in that time. It is a run that ahead of playing in the Copa America, the team’s coach goes back three years. and officials said yesterday. The South American giants Desperate to end Real Madrid’s recent European are among a list of teams Qatar are trying to secure dominance, Barca must now finish the job when the matches against-others include Colombia, Panama and teams meet again at the Camp Nou on March 13, the USA-ahead of their first Copa America appearance. but Lyon remain in the tie. Barcelona’s form needs “We need to finalise the preparations but sure we to improve between now and then, though-they need to play a couple of games,” said coach Felix have drawn four of their last five matches in all, and Sanchez on the sidelines of an award ceremony for the have scored just once, from a penalty, in their last winning squad in Doha. “We prepare a list of potential three outings. teams that we would like to play against but also we “We played good football, but you have to hit the DECINES-CHARPIEU : Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (R) plays the ball during the UEFA Champions need to see their availability.” target as well, and we didn’t,” Valverde said. “We are League round of 16 first leg football match between Lyon (OL) and FC Barcelona on Tuesday, at the Groupama Stadium Qatar Football Association (QFA) president Sheikh on the right road, though, and the tie is still up in the in Decines-Charpieu, central-eastern France. — AFP Hamad Bin Khalifa Bin Ahmed al-Thani said the team’s air. We will try to win it in front of our fans.” first friendly would be in early June. “It will be [a team] He added: “I am not happy with the result, but I from South America, we will announce it as soon as am happy with the performance and with what we of going through,” said Genesio. He admitted that he been replaced by Coutinho midway through the possible,” he said. created. “We didn’t score, but that is how it is. It is had hoped for an even better performance, but Lyon second period. Qatar have been drawn in a group with Argentina, not easy to win away from home in the Champions were missing their World Cup-winning captain Nabil Suarez came within inches of breaking the dead- Colombia and Paraguay in the Copa America, which League.” Fekir due to suspension here. lock 20 minutes from time, firing narrowly wide from starts on June 15. The 2022 World Cup hosts could also The visitors-who started with Sergi Roberto in It was the 21-year-old Terrier who surprisingly Jordi Alba’s cutback. He has now gone 16 away set up a training camp in the United States ahead of the midfield rather than the out-of-form Philippe started in his place, and he delivered the most excit- matches without scoring in the competition. tournament. Coutinho-had good reason to be wary of their hosts, ing moment of the first half for the crowd of almost Coutinho had a powerful shot beaten away by Qatar’s inclusion in the Copa America-along with who have excelled in big games this season. 58,000 with a thunderous strike from 20 yards out Anthony Lopes, with the Lyon goalkeeper also frus- that of Japan-initially raised eyebrows but both teams Bruno Genesio’s team had taken four points from in the ninth minute that was tipped onto the bar by trating Messi and Sergio Busquets as Barcelona reached the Asian Cup final. Qatar’s victory, notably a possible six against Manchester City in the group Marc-Andre ter Stegen. dominated but departed without a potentially pre- achieved in the backyard of political rivals United Arab stage and recently won at home to Paris Saint- The same player later shot over at the end of a cious away goal. Emirates, would help boost the country’s “football” rep- Germain in . They are still unbeaten in fantastic move, while Houssem Aouar had earlier “It is a little bit of a disappointment, but there is utation, said Spaniard Sanchez. Europe this season, although this was their sixth been denied by the goalkeeper, but it was still the second leg to come and we hope to do bet- Sheikh Hamad added that the QFA was “working” on consecutive draw. Barcelona who enjoyed the longer spells of posses- ter,” said defender Clement Lenglet. At least they a new contract for Sanchez following the Asian Cup tri- “It’s a satisfying result because it leaves us with a sion. Ousmane Dembele-one of two Frenchmen in extended their unbeaten record against Lyon to sev- umph. Sanchez, however, said he did not need one, but chance for the second leg, and we didn’t concede. If the away line-up-came closest for them in the first en matches, but there remains hope for the French when asked how long his existing contract was for, he we can score at the Camp Nou we’ll have a chance half, although their best chances came after he had club ahead of the return. — AFP said he could not “remember”. — AFP