Porto Win Away to Open up Six Point Lead in League Race Maritimo Upset Benfica As Title Hopes Slide Even Further Away
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19 Sports Wednesday, July 1, 2020 Porto win away to open up six point lead in league race Maritimo upset Benfica as title hopes slide even further away LISBON: Chancel Mbemba’s early goal proved enough to tuguese champions another setback in their bid to defend hand Porto a 1-0 away win over Pacos Ferreira on Monday their league title. and extend their lead at the top of Portugal’s Primeira Liga. The pace of home right back Nanu proved the differ- Mbemba snapped up a chance after just seven minutes to ence as he raced away on the counterattack to square for hand Porto a vital win in the title race that puts them six Jorge Correa to score the first goal in the 74th minute. He points clear of defending champions Benfica with five then repeated the feat to set up Rodrigo Pinho for a second matches remaining. in the 78th minute. Benfica lost 2-0 earlier on Monday at Maritimo to con- On both occasions, he outsprinted the Benfica defend- tinue a horror series of recent results and offer Porto a clear ers, squared the ball to the back post to allow his team path to the title after finishing two points behind their rivals mates to score. It might have been even more emphatic last season. when a long ball in the last minute set Joel Tagueu away on Mbemba was quickest to react another Maritimo counterattack, when Pacos Ferreira goalkeeper but his goal was ruled out by VAR Ricardo Ribeiro flapped at an in- as he was inches offside as he set swinging corner, pushing the ball a off on his run. few metres forward where the for- Full haul The result continued Benfica’s mer Newcastle United midfielder horrid post-lockdown form. They was waiting to snap up the oppor- of points remain three points behind league tunity. But the league leaders were leaders and rivals FC Porto, who far from convincing and had some can go further ahead later on stout defending to thank for a full Monday when they take on Pacos haul of points. Ferreira. Pacos Ferreira midfielder Luiz Carlos had two good It was a boost to Maritimo’s fight for survival, moving chances to equalise – the first headed narrowly wide four them from 16th to 12th place and seven points clear of the minutes into the second half. He then saw his acrobatic bi- bottom two places in the Premeira Liga. cycle kick saved by Porto goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin Monday’s match in Madeira was a fifth for Benfica since in the 67th minute. the Portuguese league returned after the COVID-19 lock- PACOS DE FERREIRA: FC Porto’s Portuguese midfielder Danilo Pereira (L) challenges Pacos Ferreira’s Meanwhile, struggling Maritimo scored twice in the down. They drew their first two, then came from behind to Portuguese midfielder Pedrinho (R) during the Portuguese League football match between Pacos Fer- space of four second-half minutes to register a shock 2-0 edge Rio Ave 2-1 at home before last Thursday suffering a reira and Porto at the Capital Do Movel stadium in Pacos de Ferreira. — AFP home victory over Benfica on Monday and hand the Por- shock 4-3 home defeat by Santa Clara. — Reuters could yet face each other, and their future clubs, in Pjanic joined Juventus from Roma in 2016. He was Barca and Juventus the Champions League final eight in Portugal, should brought up in Luxembourg and initially made his both sides win their outstanding last 16, second leg name in French football with Metz and then Lyon. matches. In a statement, Juventus said they had Last year, Barcelona carried out a similar transac- confirm Arthur, signed Arthur for “72 million euros payable in four tion by exchanging goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen for Stokes ‘proud’ as years. The purchase value may increase by a maxi- Valencia’s Neto, in deals worth around 30 million Pjanic swap deal mum of 10 million euros on the fulfillment of certain euros each. conditions during the contractual term.” While Pjanic will cost around 10 million euros less England captaincy Arthur, a Brazilian international, only joined Barca than the amount Juventus pay for Arthur, the Italians MADRID: Barcelona midfielder Arthur Melo will join from Gremio in 2018 and was hailed as a future star might feel they have the better deal given the Brazilian looms into view Juventus at the end of the current season, with Mi- for the club, with many tipping him as the long-term is seven years younger. ralem Pjanic moving in the opposite direction, the two successor to Xavi Hernandez in central midfield. Arthur had been reluctant to leave the Camp Nou clubs announced on Monday. After an encouraging start, the 23-year-old has and even released a statement in April, insisting his LONDON: Ben Stokes said he was “proud” to Barcelona said they had paid 60 million euros been one of several players to stagnate this season “idea was clear” and that he wanted to play at be in a position where he might replace Joe ($67.4m) plus a potential five million euros more in but the primary motivation for his sale is thought to Barcelona “for many years”. Root as England skipper against the West In- bonuses for Bosnian playmaker Pjanic after earlier be financial. Arthur’s departure puts more scrutiny But he was persuaded to change his mind after dies, even though he has not captained a side confirming Juventus would pay 72 million euros plus on Barcelona’s board and president Josep Maria Bar- being given limited game time under Quique Setien since he was a teenager. 10 million in variables for Arthur. tomeu. They have overseen a number of haphazard while Juve coach Maurizio Sarri had reportedly made Vice-captain Stokes could find himself lead- The two deals have gone through separately, al- moves in the transfer market and have been accused it clear he would be a key figure in his side in Turin. ing out the team for next week’s first Test at lowing both clubs to boost their profit figures ahead of failing to implement any clear sense of direction Setien said in a press conference on Monday the Southampton — or later in the three-match se- of the end of the financial year on June 30. for the club. playmaker had promised to give his all for the rest of ries — should Root be absent attending the Pjanic’s four-year contract includes a release Barcelona have been hit hard by the three-month the season as Barcelona look to make up a two-point birth of his second child. clause of 400 million euros while Juventus said suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic and they gap on Real Madrid at the top of the table. But the powerful all-rounder said he would Arthur’s contract will run for five years, until June needed to bring in around 70 million euros to satisfy “We expect the greatest commitment from him accept the “huge honour” if it came his way. 2025. Arthur and Pjanic will remain with their current their budget for the current season. until the last day he is here,” Setien said. “Even if it’s only the once you can still say teams until the end of the 2019/20 campaign, which By selling Arthur, the board can register the profits “He is still a Barcelona player until the end of the ‘yeah, I’ve captained England’,” he told a con- will include the latter stages of the Champions from the transfer immediately before spreading the season and has promised that he will give everything ference call on Monday. League in August. payments for Pjanic over the length of the 30-year- to achieve the goals we have set. He is a guy who will Stokes was restored to his position as Test It raises the possibility that Arthur and Pjanic old’s contract. be committed until the last day.” — AFP vice-captain in July 2019, nearly a year after being found not guilty of affray following an in- cident outside a nightclub. “After that happened it was ‘right, what am I going to do from this point forward?,” Stokes told Sky in a separate interview as he recalled Menon, youngest the incident. “How am I going to carry and con- duct myself?’ elite umpire at 36 “I’m quite proud to say I’m in this situation through hard work and determination. I wanted to get better and it’s been no fluke.” NEW DELHI: India’s Nitin Menon, 36, on Monday But Stokes, who last led a cricket team aged became the youngest member of the International Cricket Council’s elite umpire list. 16 for Durham Academy, insisted captaincy had Menon gave up playing cricket when he was 22 never been on his list of priorities. “I’ve never to start umpiring and has gradually moved up the set a goal to want to be a captain,” explained rankings, officiating in three Tests, 24 one-day in- the 29-year-old. ternationals and 16 Twenty20 matches. “Alastair Cook was always destined to be “My priority was to play for the country rather England captain after Andrew Strauss. Joe than umpiring,” said Menon, who played two Root was always destined to be captain after matches for Madhya Pradesh state in 2004 before Alastair Cook. “If I’m being honest, I’m not one taking up umpiring. of those that people would necessarily associ- “I quit playing at 22 and I became a senior um- ate (as) the next England captain.” pire at the age of 23.