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LONDON: Chelsea’s Didier Drogba (top) leaps over Maribor’s goalkeeper Jasmin Handanovic (second left) during the Champions League Group G soccer match at Stamford Bridge stadium in London. — AP Drogba on target in Chelsea rout

LONDON: Didier Drogba scored his first goal since returning to Mourinho had insisted before this game he would not drilling a low, left foot shot inside the far post for his second third goal after a lightning break following a Maribor corner. Chelsea as Jose Mourinho’s side took control of Champions allow the upcoming trip to Old Trafford to influence his team goal since arriving from Queens Park Rangers on transfer Hazard picked up a long clearance and broke into the Maribor League Group G with a crushing 6-0 victory over Maribor at selection. deadline day. half before laying the ball off to Cesc Fabregas whose low Stamford Bridge yesterday. And the Portuguese manager was good to his word, nam- That, though, was the forward’s last meaningful contribu- cross was met inside the six-yard box by Terry, who had raced Drogba’s last goal for the Blues was the decisive penalty that ing a strong side that showed just two changes from the team tion with Remy pulling up immediately holding his groin, the length of the pitch to join the attack. saw Bayern Munich beaten in the 2012 Champions League final. that started in Saturday’s victory at Crystal Palace. prompting the introduction of substitute Drogba. Having reached half-time in total control, the only question And, having returned to west London during the last trans- Goalkeeper Petr Cech made only his second start of the was whether Chelsea would maintain the tempo after the fer window, the Ivory Coast striker again scored from the spot season and Kurt Zouma, the teenage centre-back, came in for LIGHTNING BREAK break. They were helped when Viler turned the ball into his to put his side 2-0 up after Loic Remy had opened the scoring in his Champions League debut in place of Gary Cahill. Mourinho had warned Drogba was unable to complete 90 own net from Hazard’s cross in the 54th minute. the 13th minute. With Diego Costa still injured after suffering a hamstring minutes after the 37-year-old had struggled to make an Maribor were presented with the chance to reduce the John Terry put Jose Mourinho’s team in control with a 31st injury on international duty with Spain, Remy was again hand- impact in Chelsea’s opening Champions League group game deficit when Nemanja Matic clumsily barged into Ibraimi to minute effort and a second-half own goal from Mitja Viler fol- ed the responsibility of leading the attack. against Schalke. concede a penalty but the Maribor striker struck the post with lowed by two goals from Eden Hazard, one a penalty, con- It was another opportunity for the France international to On this occasion, however, it took the striker just seven his effort from 12 yards. firmed a win that extended Chelsea’s outstanding start to the demonstrate Chelsea have the resources to cope with the loss minutes to register his presence. Chelsea’s dominance was confirmed when Hazard convert- season. of Costa and Mourinho will have drawn satisfaction with the Maribor midfielder Ales Mertelj conceded a penalty after ed the third penalty of the evening after Branislav Ivanovic The only blow suffered by Premier League leaders Chelsea way Remy broke the deadlock. using his hand to block Willian’s attempted pass and Drogba had been tripped by Zeljko Filipovic in the 77th minute before was an injury to Remy that could make him a doubt to face Picked out by an excellent through ball by Terry, Remy finished emphatically. That left Maribor facing a daunting task wrapping things up with a fine individual effort in the closing Manchester United on Sunday. advanced from 30 yards, cutting in from the right before and worse was to come for the Slovenian side. Terry added a seconds. — AFP Schalke defeat Sporting 4-3 with stoppage-time penalty GERMANY: A stoppage-time penal- Algerian Islam Slimani going close ty from Schalke 04’s Eric Maxim early on. With the roof closed over Choupo-Moting snatched a 4-3 win the Auf Schalke Arena on a rainy against Sporting in the Champions Ruhr valley evening, Nani opened League yesterday for their first victo- the scoring when he was left com- ry and a winning return to the com- pletely unmarked, rifling in a clever petition for new coach Roberto Di Joao Mario cutback from a corner in Matteo. the 16th minute. In a rollercoaster game, Schalke The hosts, however, were dealt a squandered a two-goal lead after double blow a little later with coming from a goal down when Slimani, a constant threat up front, Adrien Silva struck twice in the sec- forced off with an injury before ond half. But Choupo-Moting kept Brazilian Mauricio clattered into his cool to win the game for Schalke Marco Hoeger for a second booking deep in stoppage time. and a red card in the 33rd minute. Portugal winger Nani, on loan Schalke made the extra man from Manchester United this season, count seconds later when Nigerian had put the visitors ahead on 14 Chinedu Obasi headed in his first SPAIN: Barcelona’s Lionel Messi (centre) dribbles the ball through the Ajax defense during the Champions League Group F soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium. — AP minutes before Schalke levelled Champions League goal with the through Nigerian Chinedu Obasi ball dribbling over the line after with the Portuguese down to 10 keeper Rui Patricio had failed to Neymar, Messi strike to ease Barca past Ajax men after the dismissal of Mauricio hold on to it. Sporting, who have in the 33rd. never won in Germany, found them- BARCELONA: Barcelona warmed up for secure a deserved victory for the sheet midway through the first half break as he had a goal rightly ruled out It looked all over when second- selves with a mountain to climb their clash with Real Madrid on Saturday Catalans. when he collected a lovely pass from for offside before firing into the side-net- half goals from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar against the aggressive hosts in the in fine fashion as goals from Neymar, Edinson Cavani’s late winner for Paris Andres Iniesta and, despite Jasper ting from a narrow angle. and captain Benedikt Hoewedes put second half and Huntelaar needed Lionel Messi and Sandro Ramirez hand- Saint-Germain away to APOEL Nicosia Cillessen’s best efforts, Messi’s low shot Neymar, Messi and Iniesta were all the hosts two goals ahead. only six minutes after the restart to ed them a 3-1 Champions League win means Barca remain a point behind the trickled over the line. Messi was the then withdrawn with the upcoming trip But two goals from Silva, a spot net his third goal of the campaign in over Ajax yesterday. Neymar grabbed French champions at the top of Group F, provider once more as Barca came with- to the Bernabeu in mind, and with the kick and a header with 12 minutes as many games. Hoewedes, making the opener in the Group F clash at the but extend their advantage over third- in inches of a third when Pedro major threat to their goal removed, Ajax Camp Nou after just seven minutes placed Ajax to four points. Rodriguez smacked the post. And only a began to create chances of their own. remaining, looked to have turned his first appearance in the competi- when he collected Messi’s pass to curl Messi and Neymar have now com- fine save from Cillessen prevented Davy Klaassen blazed over when the game around before Chuopo- tion after recovering from a hip the ball into the far corner before Messi bined for 19 of their side’s 28 goals this Iniesta from sealing a wonderful individ- well-positioned inside the area 15 min- Moting’s last-gasp penalty. Schalke injury in September, headed in put Barca firmly in command when he season and the lethal duo combined to ual run with a goal six minutes before utes from time, and Frank de Boer’s men are second in Group G on five Schalke’s third goal on the hour. slotted home 14 minutes later. open the scoring as Messi sucked in the half-time after he ghosted past three did ensure there were a nervy final few points, two behind leaders Chelsea, But far from giving up, Sporting Barca coach Luis Enrique then with- Ajax defence before releasing Neymar to Ajax defenders. minutes for Barca when substitute El who crushed Slovenia’s Maribor 6-0. battled on and Silva cut the deficit drew Neymar, Messi and Andres Iniesta curl home his 10th goal in as many Messi’s goal had brought the four- Ghazi bundled the ball home from close Sporting are on one. with a well-taken spot kick three in the second half to keep them fresh for games. time World Player of the Year level with range two minutes from time. Sporting coach Marco Silva minutes later, before heading his the weekend. Moments later it was Messi who had Cristiano Ronaldo on 69 Champions However, Sandro sealed the three named an unchanged line-up to the second goal at the far post for what Ajax briefly threatened a comeback a good chance to double the hosts’ League goals, two behind Raul’s all-time points with a fine low finish into the far one that beat Porto 3-1 in the would have been an unlikely draw when Anwar El Ghazi halved the deficit advantage, but he fired over from just record of 71. corner at the end of a flowing counter- Portuguese Cup on Saturday and before Choupo-Moting’s late two minutes from time, but Sandro inside the area. However, his attempts to inch closer attack in the fourth minute of stoppage they got off to a good start with decider. — Reuters drove home a third in stoppage time to The Argentine did get on the score- to the record were frustrated after the time. — AFP