27 Sports Wednesday, November 6, 2019 Bale confident he will be fit for crucial Euro 2020 qualifiers Giggs call up Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey

LONDON: Gareth Bale believes he will be able to play Giggs, who became Wales manager in January 2018 a role in Wales’s must-win final two Euro 2020 quali- after Chris Coleman left to take over at Sunderland, fiers against Azerbaijan and Hungary, Welsh manager said he hoped Bale would get some game time this Ryan Giggs said yesterday. The 30-year-old Real weekend. “That’s the ideal situation, that he gets min- Madrid star has been struggling with a calf problem utes before meeting with us,” said the 45-year-old for- and has not played since scoring for Wales in their 1-1 mer Manchester United wing. draw with World Cup finalists Croatia on October 13. “They’re huge games and we need to win them (to However, Giggs said Bale is confident he could win qualify), we know what we’ve got to do. We’ve played the race to be fit for both the game in Azerbaijan on against both teams, we beat Azerbaijan and lost November 16 and at home to Hungary on the 19. “It against Hungary.” However, Real coach Zinedine wasn’t a big injury, but with the short turnaround it’s a Zidane said yesterday in Madrid that Bale was still worry,” said Giggs after naming a 27-man squad. unfit to play, adding “if he is not ready to play for “I’m in constant contact with him and he feels confi- Wales, he won’t play.”Giggs has also called up dent that he’ll be fit for the game. “It’s just monitoring it Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who could make his this week, literally day by day. The last time I spoke to first appearance in the qualifiers after recovering from him he was confident he’d be OK.” The Welsh — sur- a thigh injury. prise semi-finalists at Euro 2016 — are presently “He’s come on in the last two games for Juventus fourth in their group, six points adrift of table-topping and he’s looked sharp,” said Giggs. “I wouldn’t say he’s Croatia and four shy of second-placed Hungary. 100 per cent match fit but he looks good and he looks Both Croatia and Hungary have just one game sharp.” Another midfielder Joe Allen, like Bale and remaining. Bale returned to light training with Real Ramsey a pivotal figure in the 2016 team, is named in Madrid last week after a visit to London sparked more the squad despite being suspended for the trip to speculation about his future. This accelerated on Azerbaijan on November 16. Monday with claims Real Madrid were preparing a The 29-year-old — presently playing for second MADRID: File photo shows Gareth Bale scored a wondergoal as Real Madrid triumphed in the Champions £70 million ($90 million) bid plus Bale to lure England tier strugglers Stoke City — will return for the League final. striker Raheem Sterling away from Manchester City. Hungary game in Cardiff. — AFP

with a 7-1 demolition of lowly Udinese, but they have striker Josip Ilicic. Zapata (6) and Muriel (8) have Atalanta aim to felt the absence of star Colombian striker Duvan accounted for 14 league goals between them this term. Zapata, who has been out with a thigh injury picked up And Gasperini expressed his fury when Zapata, on a Matches on TV on international duty last month. four-game scoring run, pulled up injured in a “useless” (Local Timings) avoid another Without him Atalanta have slipped from third to fifth friendly with Colombia. in Serie A, eight points behind leaders Juventus after a Zapata has been key to Atalanta’s exciting high- UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE City slaughter 2-0 defeat to Cagliari at the weekend. Juventus, Inter pressing and fast paced style of play, which should in Bayern Munich v Olympiacos CFP 20:55 Milan and Napoli are used to measuring themselves theory have carried over to Europe. But they have had beIN SPORTS HD 5 against the European elite, but Atalanta’s only trophy a baptism of fire with defeats at Dinamo Zagreb (4-0), Lokomotiv Moscow v Juventus FC 20:55 MILAN: Gian Piero Gasperini warned that psychology was the Italian Cup back in 1963. Man City (5-1) and letting a 1-0 lead slip against beIN SPORTS will be key as Italian newcomers Atalanta look to avoid The turn around in their fortunes has been orches- Shakhtar at the San Siro to lose 2-1. Paris Saint-Germain v Club Brugge KV 23:00 another huge defeat at the hands of Champions League trated by former Genoa and Palermo boss Gasperini Despite their struggles Brazilian defender Rafael beIN SPORTS rivals Manchester City in Milan today. who took over in 2016. The 61-year-old’s success at Toloi insisted that Atalanta are in their rightful place Real Madrid CF v Galatasaray SK 23:00 The Premier League champions can seal their ticket Atalanta came eight years after being sacked by Inter among the European elite. “We’ve earned to the right beIN SPORTS HD 1 to the knockout rounds with a win over Atalanta, who Milan after just three months. to play such opponents,” the 28-year-old said ahead of Crvena Zvezda v Tottenham Hotspur 23:00 have lost all three Group C games in their first ever for- The northeners sprinted to third in Serie A last sea- meeting Man City. beIN SPORTS ay into the elite European competition. son ahead of Inter Milan, their best ever finish, with the “They have super players, Sterling is very fast, so Bayer 04 Leverkusen v Atletico de Madrid 23:00 Man City are top of their group with maximum nine most goals scored, and reached the Italian Cup final. we’ll have to be aggressive and very careful in the beIN SPORTS points and 10 goals scored, with the Bergamo side bot- This season they have continued on the same path markings. We know that with our fans at home we can Atalanta v Manchester City 23:00 tom after conceding 11 goals conceded and scoring just leading the way in the scoring charts with 30 goals do well.” Atalanta can still theoretically reach last 16. beIN SPORTS two. Five of those came last time out, when an 11- scored after 11 rounds. And their ‘home’ game will be at the San Siro, 56km GNK Dinamo Zagreb v Shakhtar Donetsk 23:00 minute Raheem Sterling hat-trick helped City to a 5-1 Their success has been largely powered by Zapata, from Bergamo, deemed more suitable by UEFA than beIN SPORTS win in Manchester. who stayed on after finishing second top scorer in Serie their 21,000-seater Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia. But “The psychological aspect will be fundamental,” said A last season with 23 goals. Fellow Colombian Luis the odds are stacked as they take on Man City, who are Gasperini. “It’s a tight turnaround, but we’ll prepare as Muriel arrived last summer from Fiorentina, joining second in the Premier League and on a run of 10 wins best we can.” Atalanta hit back in Serie A days later Argentine forward Alejandro Gomez and Slovenian from their last 11 matches in all competitions. —AFP Verona get Hazard’s slow start one-match stadium gathering pace closure for Balotelli MADRID: Eden Hazard is beginning to show glimpses of racist abuse his best form and it cannot come soon enough for Real Madrid. They play at home to Galatasaray in the Champions League today, when victory would put them MILAN: Italian club Verona were yesterday given a within touching distance of qualification from Group A. one-match partial stadium closure for monkey cries Hazard has endured a disjointed and disappointing start from their fans directed at Brescia forward Mario in Spain, where expectations soared following his long- Balotelli during a Serie A game at the weekend. awaited 100-million euro move from Chelsea in June. A Italian international Balotelli scored in Sunday’s 2- week later, 50,000 thousand fans streamed into the 1 Serie A defeat but his performance was overshad- Santiago Bernabeu to see Hazard wear the shirt while owed by his fury at the racist abuse from a section of some even ran to the entrances to grab a better seat. As Verona’s supporters. The Lega Serie A’s disciplinary supporters left, Hazard was giving his first press confer- commission yesterday said that the chants “were ence underneath the stadium, telling a packed auditorium clearly perceived, in addition to the player, also by he wanted to be a galactico. “I’m not a galactico, not yet, the federation representative positioned nearby.” but I hope I will be one day,” he said. But the grand open- ing fizzled, in part due to events off the pitch, a combina- The commission found that “after these cries .. tion of bad luck and personal circumstances that have there were also cries of support followed by long spared the 28-year-old harsher critique from fans and applause”. As a result they ordered that a section journalists alike. On the day before Madrid’s first game of known as the “Poltrone Est” in the Bentegodi the season away at Celta Vigo, Hazard pulled a muscle in Stadium, which can host around 3,500 spectators his thigh in training and had to withdraw from the squad. in the 30,000-capacity stadium, be closed for He sat out three matches before making his first start one match. against Paris Saint-Germain, but looked off the pace and it Despite denials of abuse from Verona, a video was a night to forget as Madrid were thrashed 3-0. Hazard published on Twitter by a fan showed a number of was left on the bench against Osasuna amid reports he supporters directing abuse at Balotelli before the for- was overweight and then scored his first goal against Eden Hazard ward booted the ball at them in the stands. The match Granada, a delightful looping finish that promised finally to was suspended for a few minutes around the hour unleash the Belgian’s best. proved their undoing last season. Despite the best efforts sons his move to Madrid was not pushed through sooner. mark as Balotelli tried to force himself from the field “We know the quality of player we have and we know of Benzema in recent months, the void left by Cristiano But to succeed, he is likely not only to need that zip before a message was read out on the stadium loud- he is going to deliver,” said Zinedine Zidane in September. Ronaldo is still to be filled and although Hazard has never again that comes only with full fitness but self-belief, to speaker threatening that both teams would leave the “Everyone expects a lot from him and he knows that. But been a prolific scorer, he can contribute and enhance the take ownership of this Madrid side in the same way he field if there was a repeat of any abuse. we support him and as the games go by I am sure he is numbers of others. once commanded the adoration of Stamford Bridge. The message was whistled loudly by a large num- going to be the player we want him to be in this Real Those that know Hazard say he has a relaxed, down-to- Few doubt Hazard will soon rediscover his peak, cer- ber of the home fans. Verona coach Ivan Juric insisted Madrid team.” earth personality, unfazed by attention and uninterested in tainly not Zidane, who insists goals are all he needs. Real he heard “no racists chants, nothing at all,” adding But the international break checked Hazard’s momen- the pizazz of modern football. Perhaps it is one of the rea- Madrid need them too. — AFP that “to say otherwise is a lie”. Earlier Verona tum and he missed Madrid’s first match back, a 1-0 loss away at Mallorca, due to the birth of his fourth child. In the announced they have banned Luca Castellini, the three games since, he has appeared in bursts, delivering venue,” it added. “The venue will leader of their hard-core ultras supporters group, exhilirating moments like the glorious flick inside against India-Pakistan Davis Cup be announced once the choice has until June 2030 for saying that Balotelli would never Galatasaray and a run in behind to win the penalty against been submitted and approved.” be “completely Italian”. Leganes. Tensions are simmering “Balotelli’s Italian because he has Italian citizen- “He sees things that other players cannot see,” Zidane tie shifted to ‘neutral’ site between nuclear-armed India ship, but he can never be completely Italian,” said. Yet there have been disappointments too, not so and Pakistan over the disputed Castellini said in a radio interview on Monday. When much glaring errors as a general hesistance, a tendency to ISLAMABAD: This month’s Davis decision to move the match was Himalayan region of Kashmir. asked if Verona fans were racist, Castellini added: choose the safe option or fail to choose at all when in Cup tie between Pakistan and taken “following a review of the Kashmir has been divided “We have a negro in our team and he scored yester- those attacking positions he usually relishes. India, scheduled to take place in latest advice given by the ITF’s between the two countries since day and all of Verona applauded.” Hazard’s most impressive showing so far was arguably Islamabad, must now be played at independent security advisors.” the end of British colonial rule in Verona barred Castellini from their stadium against Real Betis last weekend, when Madrid failed to a “neutral venue” due to security “The ITF and Davis Cup 1947. Both claim the territory in “based on considerations and expressions seriously score but he had his exuberance back, not to mention the concerns, the International Tennis Committee’s first priority has full and have fought two wars contrary to those that distinguish the ethical princi- change of pace that at times has appeared worryingly Federation (ITF) said Monday. always been the safety of athletes, ples and values of our club”. Balotelli, 29, who was absent. over it. The Asia/Oceania Group I officials and spectators and the In August, New Delhi revoked born in Palermo to Ghanaian parents but was raised He was darting through gaps rather than turning away just outside Brescia, had to be held back by players from them, taking risks, and unfortunate to see a superb match had initially been planned decision was made on this basis,” the special status of the part of for September, but was pushed the ITF said. the region that it administers. An from both teams to stop him leaving the pitch. goal ruled out for offside. “Everyone wants to see Eden “Balotelli’s a clown. He only heard it in his own playing better,” Zidane said last week. “But I see him get- back to November 29-30 after According to Davis Cup rules, Indian tennis team last played a head,” continued Castellini. Former Manchester City ting much better every day. He will get there in the end safety fears were raised by India “the Pakistan Tennis Federation Davis Cup tie in Pakistan in 1964, and Inter Milan striker Balotelli, who obtained Italian for sure.” amid tensions between the neigh- now has the choice to nominate a when they beat the hosts 4-0. Madrid’s goalless draw against Betis shows why bouring nations over Kashmir. neutral venue and has five work- Pakistan lost 3-2 when they played citizenship at the age of 18, has been capped 36 times Hazard’s crescendo must find its climax, and quickly, if In a statement, the ITF said the ing days to confirm their proposed in Mumbai in 2006. — AFP for Italy. —AFP Zidane’s team are to avoid the same problems up front that