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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 Munich 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. Mohamed Salah 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 Joe Gomez 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 Borussia Dortmund 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 Anfield 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 Zagreb 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 Premier League 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.