Established 1961 27 Sports Thursday, December 13, 2018 Salah’s first-half goal sends Liverpool into last 16 Tottenham survive Barca struggle to keep stadium dream alive

PARIS: Mohamed Salah’s first-half goal and a stun- this,” gushed Klopp. “It was amazing.” PSG went ning late save from goalkeeper saw into their match in Belgrade knowing that victory Liverpool edge into the Champions League knock- would send them through, and gave out stage after a tense 1-0 win over Napoli on the French champions the perfect start by tapping Tuesday, while Lucas Moura’s late strike saw in after an excellent run and pass by Kylian Tottenham progress with a draw at Barcelona. Mbappe. Last year’s runners-up Liverpool knew victory ’s strike five minutes before half-time by two goals or a 1-0 triumph would put them appeared to have put the game to bed, but Red through to the last 16 from Group C, and Salah’s Star, who had already beaten Liverpool and held cool 34th-minute strike proved enough as they fin- Napoli in Serbia earlier in the campaign, pulled one ished ahead of Napoli on goals scored. back before the hour mark through Marko Gobeljic. “Wow, what a game. I am not sure a manager But PSG finally sealed their spot in the last 16 as could be prouder of a team than I am,” Reds boss headed in Angel Di Maria’s free-kick Jurgen Klopp told BT Sport. Paris Saint-Germain with 16 minutes to go and Mbappe added further reached the knockout rounds as group winners gloss to the scoreline in added time. “We made mis- thanks to a 4-1 victory over Red Star Belgrade, with takes, but I really liked the reaction after Belgrade’s Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani all on goal. We controlled the match,” PSG coach Thomas the scoresheet. Tuchel told RMC Sport. Liverpool grabbed the crucial goal at a raucous Spurs went into their final Group B game at the Anfield, as Salah jinked past needing to match ’s result inside the area and slotted the ball beyond goal- against PSV Eindhoven in Italy, but Mauricio keeper . Salah, who had already wast- Pochettino’s side fell behind in only the seventh ed an earlier chance with a heavy touch, continued minute as Ousmane Dembele scored a wonderful to run Napoli ragged early in the second half, but individual goal. Ospina saved from Jordan Henderson and James gave PSV a shock early advan- Milner curled wide as Carlo Ancelotti’s men stayed tage at the , though, to leave Tottenham LIVERPOOL: Liverpool’s Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker (2R) saves a shot from Napoli’s Polish strik- a goal from turning the group on its head. heading through as it stood. er Arkadiusz Milik (L) during the UEFA Champions League group C football match between Liverpool and The atmosphere around Anfield became increas- The English club had plenty of half-chances Napoli at Anfield stadium in Liverpool.— AFP ingly tense as the leaders contin- against a much-changed Barca, who had already ued to miss opportunities, with Ospina springing to won the group, but almost made his left to tip away Salah’s attempted lob before it 2-0 when his low shot struck the post. “I always believed it was possible to win the Philipp’s low cross in the 15th minute against denying Mane from point-blank range. Mauro Icardi levelled for Inter against PSV with game,” Spurs manager Pochettino told BT Sport. Thierry Henry’s crisis-hit Monaco, before slam- Senegal forward Mane was guilty of two further 17 minutes left to leave Spurs needing to score at “We fully deserved to go through with Barcelona. ming in a second late on. “It’s a perfect evening. snatched efforts in front of goal, and Napoli almost least once. Tottenham, who were facing an early We were the best (two) teams in a difficult group.” On the whole it was a deserved victory,” said made the Reds pay in the dying moments. The ball elimination when trailing PSV in their fourth group Borussia Dortmund snatched top spot in Group A Dortmund coach Lucien Favre. fell for substitute striker Arkadiusz Milik unmarked match before rallying to win and then beating Inter, with a 2-0 win over rock-bottom Monaco, as Earlier on Tuesday in Group D, Galatasaray in the area, but Alisson raced from his line to keep continued to push and Moura met ’s low Atletico Madrid were held to a goalless draw at secured a Europa League last-32 place despite los- out the Pole’s strike with his legs. cross in the 85th minute to cap a dramatic group- Club Brugge. ing 3-2 to Porto in an entertaining game which saw “I have no idea how Alisson made a save like stage revival. Raphael Guerreiro tapped in Maximilian two of three penalties scored. 00 —AFP

ners. “We had the match we needed but Inter Milan out of didn’t capitalise on the chances we had. “As the anxiety grows, you lose sight Champions League of how to control the game.” “We could have remained more balanced and Playing top Asian after PSV stalemate instead we let ourselves be carried away MILAN: Inter Milan crashed out of the by tensions, by the public mood,” he Champions League on Tuesday after added, as the goals from the Tottenham sides key for India, being held 1-1 by PSV Eindhoven at the v Barcelona game were broadcast in the San Siro as Group B rivals Tottenham stadium. “How do you hide the result of says captain Chhetri Hotspur gained a point against your opponents? The public cheer.” Barcelona. The hosts, who lifted the title in 2010 MUMBAI: India must have regular competition The side needed to better with Jose Mourinho and were returning against the continent’s top sides if they are to have Spurs’ result at the Camp Nou in order to the competition for the first time any hope of taking their game to another level, cap- to overtake the Premier League outfit since 2012, got off to a good start tain Sunil Chhetri has said ahead of next month’s and snatch a place in the knockout against already-eliminated PSV, Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates. rounds. ’s side thought coached by former AC Milan Since their last appearance at the finals in Qatar they had done enough in the 73rd Mark van Bommel. in 2011, India have played twice against a top-six minute when captain Mauro Icardi Icardi sent in a long ball five minutes Asian side when they were grouped with Iran for marked his 200th game for the club by into the game which Ivan Persic got his the World Cup qualifiers. Chhetri, who will head to but the Croatia winger’s effort MILAN: PSV Eindhoven’s midfielder Pablo Rosario (L) and Inter Milan’s Croatian lead India in just their fourth appearance at the equalising Hirving Lozano’s 13th-minute midfielder Marcelo Brozovic collide during the UEFA Champions League group B opener, with Spurs a goal down in clipped the post. After the initial scare finals, said they had to be given the chance to PSV regrouped their defence and football match Inter Milan vs PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday at the San Siro stadium in stretch themselves more. Catalonia. Milan. —AFP However Lucas Moura levelled at 1-1 proved increasingly dangerous on the “It’s very, very important for us to keep playing for Tottenham, enabling his team to counter-attack. The Dutch broke against the big giants - the UAEs, the Australias, the advance to the last 16 thanks to the through following a monstrous blunder his line to parry. Icardi fired wide before The Italians piled forward in search Korea Republics,” Chhetri told FIFA.com. “It’s one away goal they scored in their 2-1 by Inter midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah. the break before Handanovic tipped a of the winner but could not break thing to do well against your neighbours, and with- defeat at the San Siro. Inter lost 1-0 at The Ghanaian was caught in possession Bergwijn effort over the bar. through, with substitute Lautaro out demeaning any one of them, it’s a different thing Tottenham last time out, meaning Spurs by , with the ball flying PSV could thank goalkeeper Jeroen Martinez sending a header over the bar when you go out and play the giants of Asia.” go through in second place with a supe- across the face of goal and Lozano nod- Zoet after the break when he denied late on. The Dutch club, who won the Cricket-loving India has a population of 1.3 bil- rior head-to-head record. ding in at the back post. Icardi, Stefan de Vrij and Keita Balde. European Cup in 1988, achieved just lion but it is a massive underachiever as far as foot- “We got nervous, lost too many balls, Asamoah struggled throughout the But Icardi blasted in the equaliser mid- their second point of the competition as ball is concerned. The national side is 97th in the created disorder at the tactical level and first half and almost conceded a second way through the second half, meeting a they finished bottom of the group FIFA rankings and yet to make an appearance at tension set in,” said Inter coach Luciano with an accidental assist for Luuk De perfect cross from Matteo Politano to behind Inter who go through to the the World Cup finals. Spalletti of the former three-time win- Jong, but Samir Handanovic rushed off leave Zoet no chance. Europa League. —AFP The Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) deci- sion to increase the number of finalists at the Asian Cup to 24 teams from 16 has helped the country Arrival in the knockout stage comes return to the tournament. “I was really dejected PSG keeping after two straight wins for PSG, with when we missed out on the last edition,” Chhetri Tuesday’s beating of Red Star coming said of the 2015 tournament in Australia. cool heads after after a crucial 2-1 victory over “I think it’s very, very important for a country Liverpool that put qualification in their like us to keep qualifying for this big tournament, making Champions hands. because that tells you where you are and if you’re “We showed for a second time after doing well. “It also gives you a chance to rub shoul- League last 16 the match against Liverpool that we ders with the biggest teams in Asia. If you do well, are ready for this kind of match,” other teams take notice of you.” —Reuters BELGRADE: Paris Saint-Germain added Tuchel, whose side began the coach said his side group stage with a 3-2 defeat by the need to “stay humble” after they Reds at Anfield and then struggled to thumped Red Star Belgrade 4-1 on contain Napoli in the two draws with Tuesday and qualified for the last 16 of the Italian side. Japan shuns the Champions League, finishing ahead However, PSG scored 10 goals in of Liverpool and Napoli to top a tight two games against Red Star, who beat Group C. Liverpool and drew with Napoli in Kagawa for bid to First-half goals from Edinson Cavani Belgrade-dropped points that allowed and Neymar set the French champions the leaders to finish top. reclaim Asian Cup on their way, before a bullet header “We are happy, we came for qualifi- from Marquinhos, Kylian Mbappe’s cation and we showed our intentions TOKYO: Japan dropped former Manchester United star injury-time strike and Liverpool beat- (with the win),” said Mbappe, who also BELGRADE: Paris Saint-Germain’s French defender (L) vies Shinji Kagawa from the Blue Samurai’s bid to reclaim the ing Napoli 1-0 ensured first place in laid on Cavani’s opener. Asked about for the ball with Red Star Belgrade’s midfielder El Fardou Ben (C) during the Asian Cup, opting instead for a squad filled with young European Champions League football match Crvena Zvezda Belgrade vs Paris the group after Marko Gobeljic pulled PSG’s chances of winning the Europe-based talents. Saint-Germain (PSG) at Rajko-Mitic stadium in Belgarde. —AFP one back for the hosts early in the sec- Champions League, Mbappe added: Coach yesterday selected several ond half. “We need to see what we’ll have in players with only a handful of caps to their names for “We made mistakes, but I really front of us. The goal is to get to the torrid evening, and Neymar made light before Gobeljic smashed past Gianluigi Asia’s showcase football tournament in the United Arab liked the reaction after Belgrade’s goal. quarter-finals, but we’ll deal with what work of the 25-year-old on his way to Buffon in the 56th minute to set the Emirates starting in January. The likes of Ritsu Doan of We controlled the match,” said Tuchel we are given in the draw.” a wonderful solo goal in the 31st Rajko Mitic stadium ablaze with noise. Groningen, Shoya Nakajima of Portimonense and to RMC Sport after the win. “We need PSG had Red Star on the back foot minute, into the box and sit- However Marquinhos snuffed their of Salzburg will lead Japan’s bid for a to stay humble and have a professional from the start, and their blistering ting down the hosts’ keeper Milan enthusiasm out when he met Di Maria’s record-extending fifth title. But there was no place for attitude. We are improving and we are attacking trio of Neymar, Mbappe and Borjan before lifting the second into beautiful deep free-kick to make sure midfielder Kagawa, 29, now struggling for playing time hard to beat.” Cavani did not waste time in putting the net. of the three points with 17 minutes at Borussia Dortmund. PSG finished the group stage on 11 the away side ahead. The Ligue 1 leaders should have remaining. Kagawa has long been among the leading stars of points, two ahead of second-placed Just eight minutes were on the clock been out of sight three minutes before Mbappe’s neat finish as the final Blue Samurai and at his German outfit, but the attacking Liverpool and Napoli, who were elimi- when Cavani tapped Mbappe’s pass the break, but Mbappe wasted an seconds ticked away and Liverpool’s player has found himself unable to get regular first-team nated due to their defeat at Anfield. into an open goal, after the French excellent chance to make it three, win were the icing on the cake for football under Dortmund coach Lucien Favre. Topping such a keenly-contested group teenage sensation met the excellent again bursting through past Stojkovic PSG. “We knew it was going to go to He told Japanese media last month that he wished to is a huge boost for PSG, who have ’s through ball, brushed on the left only to fluff his shot into the the very end ever since the draw,” said move to Spain to take on a new challenge. Moriyasu dominated French football since being Filip Stojkovic aside and slipped a per- side netting. Marquinhos. “We knew this group was suggested he had been tempted to turn to veterans like taken over by Qatari investors but flat- fect pass for the Uruguayan. Red Star came out firing in the sec- very difficult, so it’s great to finish first, Kagawa, but said he needed to pick players in their tered to deceive on the continent. Red Star captain Stojkovic had a ond half, and could have scored twice it’s a good sign for the future.” —AFP best form. —AFP