Afif Nets Brace As Sadd Beat Rayyan in Clasico
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Sports Sunday, February 24, 2019 19 Mbappe double sees Afif nets brace as SaddPSG strengthen hold beat Rayyan in Clasico on Ligue 1 title The Parisians defeated Nimes 3-0 to move 17 points clear in France AFP Bernadoni’s outstretched leg PARIS instead of the back of the net when put clean through by a KYLIAN Mbappe struck twice sumptuous Verratti pass. as Paris Saint-Germain tight- World Cup winner Mbap- ened their grip on the French pe thought he had sneaked title with a comfortable 3-0 in the second with his hand win over Nimes on Saturday just before the break, only that saw the champions move to be caught punching in- 17 points clear at the top of stead of heading in Thiago Ligue 1. Silva’s flick-on via the video Mbappe scored in the 69th assistant referee system and and 89th minutes as runaway booked for his troubles. league leaders PSG extended The 20-year-old appeared their lead on second-placed on a personal mission to score Lille after the northern side’s in the second half but, first 1-1 draw at Strasbourg on Fri- cutting in from the left and day. firing just wide eight min- Christopher Nkunku’s utes after the restart before 40th-minute strike, which his volley from Marquinhos’ came after a beautiful chipped chipped past was brilliantly pass from Marco Verratti, got palmed away by Bernadoni. the ball rolling for Thomas He somehow poked wide Tuchel’s side against mid- on the hour mark after charg- table Nimes, who had goal- ing onto a low cross from the keeper Paul Bernadoni and left before finally doubling poor PSG finishing -- in par- PSG’s lead in almost exactly ticular from Mbappe -- to the same fashion nine min- thank for not taking an even utes later, meeting the surging Fans of Al Sadd with a giant flag at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium during their team’s QNB Stars League match against Al Rayyan in Doha on Saturday. heavier beating at the Parc de Juan Bernat’s cut back with a Princes. neat first-time finish. IKOLI VICTOR where the tide will turn. spot in the 62nd minute. Still missing injured strike And the Frenchman made DOHA Rayyan were no pushover Afif completed his brace partners Edinson Cavani and the result even more emphatic as they responded with strik- in the 72nd minute when Neymar, Mbappe should have when he finished off a light- AKRAM Afif scores a brace to er Lucca Borges’ low shot that Bounedjah’s through pass put put the hosts in the lead eight ning break started by Nkunku inspire Al Sadd to a 4-0 victo- almost embarrassed Qatar’s him on goal to slot the ball past minutes before Nkunku’s to take his league tally for the ry over Al Rayyan in the Qatar safest hands Saad al Sheeb the rushing keeper. opener when he somehow hit season to 22. Clasico on Saturday and take but he managed to force a Referee Khamis Mohamed them one step closer to win- corner kick. al Kuwari resorted to the VAR ning the QNB Stars League. Hamid Ismaeil saw lots of again after Sebastian Soria’s After an impressive hat- the ball from the right flank stamp on Hamid Ismael’s trick last weekend against Al and his cross in the 25th min- knee. The former Qatari strik- Khor, the Asian Cup winner ute into the box was acrobati- er was shown a second yellow was back to his scintillating cally taken by Pedro Miguel but card and hus marching order best, this was his 19th goal of was blocked for a corner kick. in the 76th minute. Al Sadd’s the seaosn for Al Sadd, now the Jesualdo Ferreira’s men former Atletico Madrid captain second best scorer in the league pressed on as Afif found space Gabi received his 9th career alongside Youssef El Arabi, inside the opponent’s box then red for a foul with the closing rounded off by a clinical finish squared the ball for Spanish minute. before he was substituted late star Gabi, whose shot was par- Al Sadd were deserved win- on. ried by Fahad Baker and the ners with better possession and Baghdad Bounedjah added rebound was volleyed into the chances created, seven of their another goal to his record-goal net by Bounedjah on 33 min- 13 shots were on target. scoring exploit with Al Sadd’s utes. Two minutes later, Hasan Elsewhere, Al Gharafa opener in the 33rd minute for Akram Afif (right) is challenged by Mouafak Awad of Al Rayyan during made it 2-0 with a thumping and Al Duhail played out an his 31st goal of the season in their QNB Stars League match in Doha on Saturday. header from a cross into the entertaining goalless draw 17 matches. Asian player of the box. on Saturday at the Thani Bin year Abdulkarim Hasan got a It was the biggest match of the Fans were not disappointed In the second period, a vid- Jassim Stadium. The result goal for himself with a thump- round and the rivalry between as the teams sized up each oth- eo assistant referee (VAR) de- dents Duhail’s title chance as ing header. The result left Al the two sides made fans of both er in the early exchanges. But it cision gives Al Sadd a penalty they are now four points be- Duhail still second, four points the clubs throng to the Jassim was Hassan al Haydos curling after South Korean Ko Myong- hind leaders Al Sadd. While, PSG’s French forward Kylian Mbappe controls the ball past Nîmes’ behind Al Sadd with five match- bin Hamad Stadium to witness strike that crashed to the top in Jin held Pedro inside the box, Al Gharafa with 19 points goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni during their French L1 match at the Parc es still to conclude the season. the encounter. the 20th minute that signaled Afif made no mistake from the stays in eighth place. de Princes in Paris on Saturday. (AFP) SPANISH LA LIGA Tottenham lose ground in title race; Messi hat-trick fires Barcelona Newcastle away from trouble DPA to thrilling victory over Sevilla LONDON AFP TOTTENHAM Hotspur lost SEVILLE, SPAIN ground in the title race - and manager Mauricio Pochet- LIONEL Messi hit a sumptuous tino lost his cool - as they were hat-trick, the 50th of his career, beaten 2-1 at Burnley on Sat- to inspire Barcelona to a 4-2 urday. victory over Sevilla on Saturday Chris Wood put Burnley in and take them one step closer front early in the second half to winning La Liga. and though Harry Kane equal- Messi was supposed to be ised soon after, Ashley Barnes lacking fitness and Barca strug- snatched it for the home side gling for form but both deliv- with the second goal seven ered a resounding response at minutes from time. the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, The result left Tottenham with two matches against Real still third, five points behind Madrid just around the corner. Manchester City and Liver- After scoring 11 goals in pool, while Burnley climbed to nine games, Messi’s thigh strain 13th. had coincided with a dip by his Newcastle beat 10-man Burnley’s Chris Wood celebrates after scoring am goal during their own high standards, one goal in Huddersfield 2-0 to move Premier League match at Turf Moor in Burnley on Saturday. (AFP) four prompting concerns that away from the relegation zone he was being pushed too far. while Wolves hit back to draw ourselves now. We need to But the Argentinian was 1-1 at Bournemouth. Results keep being resilient and com- back to his scintillating best, An angry Pochettino re- Burnley 2 - 1 Tottenham pact. That’s what we did.” this was his 44th treble for Bar- monstrated with referee Mike Bournemouth 1 - 1 Wolves Newcastle were good value celona, now the joint most for Dean at the final whistle, an- for their 2-0 win over bottom a Spanish club alongside Cris- noyed at Burnley’s opening Newcastle 2 - 0 Huddersfield side Huddersfield, though the tiano Ronaldo, rounded off by goal, which came from a cor- Leicester City 1 - 4 Palace sending-off of Tommy Smith a trademark chip late on. Luis Barcelona’s forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring a goal during their Spanish league match against ner the Argentinian felt should on 20 minutes made their lives Suarez needed a goal too after Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium in Seville on Saturday. (AFP) not have been given. in front from a corner in the easier. a disappointing performance Pochettino said he would 57th minute, but Pochettino Salomon Rondon opened against Lyon in midweek and as Wissam Ben Yedder twisted blistering break forward was took one touch and curled it, accept any punishment for was livid, with replays suggest- the scoring one minute into the he wrapped up the perfect af- him one way and then the other halted by his opposite number this time right-footed, into the his actions at the end but dis- ing the ball had come off Burn- second half and Ayoze Perez ternoon by adding a fourth, but Umtiti was quick on his feet three, Sergi Gomez. top corner. missed it as heat of the mo- ley’s Jeff Hendrick last. doubled their lead six minutes after Jesus Navas and Gabriel and did well to make the block. Sevilla scored next, just be- Sevilla looked dead on their ment stuff.