BADMINTON | Page 6 CRICKET | Page 7 Axelsen, Tai Rahul’s 199 To Advertise here win titles powers India Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 at BWF in fi ft h Test Superseries against England Monday, December 19, 2016 NBA Rabia I 20, 1438 AH LeBron helps GULF TIMES rested Cavaliers down Lakers 119-108 SPORT Page 5 CLUB WORLD CUP Real survive scare to win Cup Reuters saki changed the story by levelling one Kashima continued to give as good Tokyo minute before halftime. as they got and had three good chances Kashima were the fi rst Asian team to in the fi nal minutes of normal time. reach the fi nal although they qualifi ed Fabricio’s goalbound drive was eal Madrid suff ered an al- for the tournament as champions of tipped over by Navas and the Costa mighty fright before a Cris- host nation Japan. Rican goalkeeper came to the rescue tiano Ronaldo hat-trick Asian champions Jeonbuk Motors again one minute later by blocking Mu hauled them back from 2-1 had lost in the quarter-fi nals. Kanazaki’s shot after he got free of the Rdown and gave them a 4-2 win over “We knew it was not going to be an Real defence. rank outsiders Kashima Antlers in the easy one. They were very aggressive,” Yasushi Endo could have won it Club World Cup fi nal yesterday. Real coach Zinedine Zidane told re- with the last kick but fi red wide at the Two goals from Gaku Shibasaki porters. far post while Sergio Ramos was lucky stunned the European champions as the Real went ahead when Luka Modric’s to escape a second yellow card for a Japanese hosts took a 2-1 lead early in volley was parried by Hitoshi Sogahata push on an opponent, a decision which the second half before a Ronaldo penalty and Benzema tapped in the rebound. Kashima coach Masatada Ishii said brought Real level on the hour. Kashima refused to be overawed, “lacked courage”. The 11-times European champions continued playing their neat football Ronaldo ended Kashima’s dream then survived several more scares and and snatched a shock equaliser just when he collected Benzema’s sliderule a possible sending-off for captain Ser- before the break. pass and fi red past Sogahata eight min- gio Ramos before Ronaldo scored twice Shoma Doi’s cross found Shibasaki, utes into extra-time, then settled the more in the fi rst period of extra-time. whose fi rst touch was poor but he was match six minutes later with an emphat- Real, who won the tournament for gifted a second attempt when Raphael Real Madrid players celebrate with their trophy after winning the Club World Cup football final match against Kashima ic fi nish into the roof of the net. the second time in three years and Varane failed to clear and he smashed Antlers of Japan in Yokohama yesterday. “We gave Real Madrid problems,” were crowned champions for a fi fth the ball into the net. said Ishii. “That’s what we were able time overall, appeared set for an easy Shibasaki struck again six minutes three opponents and fi red a low shot since they lost to VfL Wolfsburg in by Shuto Yamamoto and Ronaldo con- to do. But we made small mistakes in victory when Karim Benzema gave after the break when he collected a past Keylor Navas from 25 metres. April, a run of 36 competitive games, verted the resulting penalty on the positioning and judgment so it’s frus- them a ninth-minute lead but Shiba- poor Real clearance, got away from Real were facing their fi rst defeat until Lucas Vazquez was bundled over hour. trating.” Gulf Times 2 Monday, December 19, 2016 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT AIM Klopp eyes festive City sink Arsenal derby spoils to revive title bid, Spurs battle back Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. AFP the Premier League’s top scorers, Liverpool with 40 goals from 16 matches. Guardiola’s side recovered from Walcott’s early opener as second half goals from Considering the fi tness prob- lems of Daniel Sturridge and Sane and Sterling delivered the knockout blows in a heavyweight clash at Eastlands iverpool cannot lead Philippe Coutinho, it is of great the Premier League on encouragement to Klopp. Christmas Day, so the Striker Sturridge may be able best present their fans to play some part at Goodison Lcan wish for is victory at neigh- Park after missing the last fi ve bours Everton in today’s 227th matches with a calf injury. Merseyside derby. But Brazilian playmaker Jurgen Klopp’s side were top Coutinho’s ankle injury, sus- of the table briefl y last month, tained against Sunderland last but seem to have overcome the month, will keep him out until at stumble since then that caused least the visit of Manchester City them to lose signifi cant ground on New Year’s Eve. on current leaders Chelsea. Emre Can could return to the Klopp made a big call by drop- midfi eld after a two-game absence ping goalkeeper Loris Karius with a minor knee problem. after uncertain performances Centre-back Joel Matip contin- against Bournemouth and West ues to struggle with ankle trouble, Ham United. meaning Klopp is likely to stick He was rewarded at Middles- with Ragnar Klavan alongside De- brough on Wednesday as Simon jan Lovren at the back. Mignolet kept a clean sheet in a “It will just be time,” Klopp said 3-0 victory that moved Liver- of Matip. “There will be no surgery, pool back up to second place. there is not even a risk of it. It is only Adam Lallana was also a sig- about resting the injury or not. Try it nifi cant factor in that victory, every day or give it a few days. That scoring twice to take his goal to- is what we already did. tal to three in two matches since “Against West Ham it was his return to the starting line-up possible to play, but then against following a groin problem. Middlesbrough it was not.” Lallana has established himself Injury troubles aside, Liver- as one of the English top division’s pool have good reason for op- most threatening attacking play- timism going into the derby, ers, with six assists to go with his having not lost any of their last six Premier League goals. 12 meetings with Everton in all That is a signifi cant improve- competitions. ment for a player who managed Ronald Koeman’s side have at only four league goals and six as- least managed to halt their slide sists over the whole of last season. down the table, winning for only Liverpool have found ways to the second time in 11 matches as share the goals around. they came from a goal down to They went into the weekend as beat Arsenal 2-1 on Tuesday. APPRECIATION Manchester City’s English midfielder Raheem Sterling (R) celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the English Premier League football match against Arsenal yesterday. Mourinho hails AFP suddenly becomes a distant memory. minute when England forward Sterling forward Jay Rodriguez bagged a brace to London Guardiola’s latest stab at fi nding the beat Cech at his near post. inspire his side’s 3-1 win against local ri- right formula in City’s creaky defence vals Bournemouth. Ibrahimovic impact saw the Spaniard again leave out John LETHAL FINISH Rodriguez hadn’t scored in the league anchester City breathed Stones and deploy full-back Aleksandar While Arsenal stumbled, their north since August but he ended that barren fresh life into their Premier Kolarov alongside Nicolas Otamendi. London rivals Tottenham battled back to stretch with a second half double in the League title challenge as they But it took Arsenal only fi ve minutes to defeat Burnley at White Hart Lane. south coast derby at Dean Court. came from behind to secure a expose City’s soft centre as Alexis Sanchez Burnley stole the lead against the run Claude Puel’s team had fallen behind to Mcrucial 2-1 win over Arsenal, while Tot- caressed a fi ne pass behind Otamendi to of play in the 21st minute when George Nathan Ake’s early opener, but Ryan Ber- tenham beat Burnley 2-1 to close the gap Walcott, who dispatched a cool fi nish past Boyd’s cross came off Moussa Dembele trand levelled soon after to set the stage on the top four yesterday. Claudio Bravo from close-range. and Ashley Barnes was alert to convert for one of the better days in recent mem- Pep Guardiola’s side recovered from Showing impressive composure, Guar- his side’s fi rst away league goal in open ory for the injury plagued Rodriguez. Theo Walcott’s early opener as second diola’s team monopolised possession af- play this season. Southampton’s second win in their last half goals from Leroy Sane and Raheem ter that and Sterling almost equalised But Mauricio Pochettino’s men were nine away league matches lifted them Sterling delivered the knockout blows in when he headed just wide from Kevin de level fi ve minutes later through England into seventh place, while Bournemouth a heavyweight clash at Eastlands. Bruyne’s cross. midfi elder Dele Alli, who made a well- remain in mid-table. City’s second win in fi ve days lifted City’s territorial dominance was re- timed run to meet Kyle Walker’s cross Now to see what happens next week. them into second place and closed the warded in the 47th minute when David with a lethal fi nish.