TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 SPORTS

Dortmund travels to Darmstadt as Bayern Munich hosts Mainz

FRANKFURT: As Robert Lewandowski and League, then beat Wolfsburg 2-0 with rela- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang battle for top tive ease. scoring honors, the midweek “Big points! These are big points,” for- round is only a prelude to their showdown ward Thomas Mueller said in Wolfsburg. at the weekend. Lewandowski’s Bayern Now comes Mainz, which dispatched Bayer Munich hosts Mainz tomorrow and Leverkusen 3-1 on Sunday, and then Aubameyang’s Borussia Dortmund visits Dortmund. Should Bayern win both, an Darmstadt. But the attention is already unprecedented fourth straight Bundesliga shifting to Saturday, when Dortmund hosts title should be a formality. “The victory was Bayern in the match of the season. very, very important for us today. We The two strikers have marked the sea- absolutely wanted the three points,” David son so far, with Lewandowski scoring 23 Alaba said after Saturday’s win in goals and Aubameyang notching 22. Wolfsburg. “There are easier away matches, Bayern holds an eight-point lead with 11 and it’s a decisive week for us with games matches remaining and no team has against Wolfsburg, Mainz and away to squandered such an advantage at this Dortmund. So it was crucial to start with stage of the season to lose the title race. three points in Wolfsburg,” captain Philipp Dortmund’s priority is to keep a safe dis- Lahm said. tance to third-place Hertha Berlin, but if it can beat Bayern and reduce the gap it will Hoffenheim hopes inject some interest back into the champi- Hoffenheim, which was at a numerical onship. disadvantage for more than half an hour Before, however, Dortmund has the after goalscorer Sebastian Rudy was sent tricky trip to promoted Darmstadt, while off, played well until Dortmund’s late three- Bayern should have an easier job at home goal flurry. Hoffenheim’s problem remains against Mainz. Here are some things to protecting a lead - it has won only three of know ahead of the 24th Bundesliga round: 12 matches it has gone ahead in. It was Hoffenheim’s first defeat in three No threat at home matches under the new, 28-year-old coach Darmstadt, a team with limited means, Julian Nagelsmann, but the team appears is playing a solid season and is hovering to be playing with more confidence and a above the relegation zone. But that’s more win tomorrow against Augsburg could lift due to its success on the road than to Hoffenheim from the relegation zone. One strength at home. Darmstadt has won only of Hoffenheim’s three wins this season was one of 11 matches at home, while winning a 3-1 triumph over Augsburg. five on the road. It has earned 18 of its 25 points away from home - including a 2-2 No coach, no win draw at Borussia Dortmund. Darmstadt’s The first match without suspended MADRID: Real Madrid’s defender Sergio Ramos (L) and Real Madrid’s French defender Raphael Varane (R) vies with Atletico Madrid’s forward rugged style could trouble Dortmund, coach Roger Schmidt went badly for Fernando Torres during the Spanish league football match Real Madrid CF vs Club Atletico de Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. —AFP which struggled before overcoming 10- Leverkusen, which lost 3-1 in Mainz. men Hoffenheim with three late goals on Schmidt is serving a three-match ban Sunday - its eighth win in nine matches because he refused to leave the touchline across all competitions in 2016. when shown a red card in the loss to Atletico looking to keep Dortmund the previous week. The defeat Decisive days also meant that Mainz leapfrogged Bayern’s outgoing coach Pep Guardiola Leverkusen into fifth place. Leverkusen has described the current busy period as next hosts Werder Bremen, which needs the pressure on Barca the decisive stage of the season. Bayern points to escape from the danger zone. began with a 2-2 draw at Juventus - after Another setback could see Leverkusen fall blowing a 2-0 lead - in the champions out of the Europa League berths. —AP MADRID: Atletico Madrid hosts Real Sociedad League we have a game tomorrow and we have today looking to keep pressure on Barcelona to prepare for that game in order to play at our atop the standings. Atletico can provisionally top level and win,” Zidane said. “Our duties and cut Barcelona’s lead to five points with another aims are for the next game.” Matches on TV PSG’s record unbeaten win following Saturday’s impressive 1-0 victory (Local Timings) over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. Moving up run ends courtesy Lyon “We have to keep fighting game after game,” Villarreal’s impressive unbeaten run in the ENGLISH Atletico midfielder Saul Niguez said. “Then at Spanish league has reached 13 games and left Aston Villa v Everton 22:45 the end we will see whether we still have any the team in position to fight for third place. PARIS: Lyon stunned Paris Saint-Germain 2- tion boiled over when Thiago Motta beIN SPORTS 7 HD chance. We are not giving up just yet.” Atletico’s Finishing third would give Villarreal an automat- Bournemouth v Southampton 22:45 1 on Sunday to end the defending champi- appeared to strike Jordan Ferri in the face, defense hasn’t conceded a goal in four straight ic spot in the Champions League, avoiding an beIN SPORTS 6 HD ons’ hopes of becoming the first French with the Italian fortunate to escape with matches, including a scoreless draw at PSV extra qualifying round. “To finish third we would Sunderland v Crystal Palace 22:45 team to avoid defeat for a whole league just a yellow card. Eindoven in the Champions League. The offense need to maintain this extraordinary level and beIN SPORTS 4 HD season. Young forward Maxwell Cornet On the day that Silva spoke of suffering has scored only two goals in the last four hope that Atletico and Real Madrid play below Norwich City v Chelsea 22:45 beIN SPORTS 8 HD stroked Bruno Genesio’s men into a sur- a bout of depression in the aftermath of games, though. “We have to keep working to expectations,” Villarreal coach Marcelino Garcia prise early lead and Lyon deservedly made Brazil’s World Cup thrashing at the hands of Leicester v West Bromwich 22:45 improve in that area,” Coach Diego Simeone said. “Each step we take is to secure this fourth beIN SPORTS 2 HD it two through Sergi Darder’s wonderfully- Germany two years ago, he was embar- said. place, which would be a great achievement.” taken goal on the stroke of half-time. rassed by Darder in first half injury-time. Villarreal has a comfortable 11-point lead over SPANISH LEAGUE Lucas Moura pulled one back for the Despite Rafael’s cross being slightly behind Playing for pride? fifth-place Celta, the team it plays tomorrow in Atletico v Real Sociedad 23:00 runaway league leaders, but Lyon held on Darder, the Spanish midfielder flicked the Real Madrid has already given up on the Vigo. beIN SPORTS 3 HD for a famous victory that moves them into ball over the head of centre-back Silva with league title after losing at home to Atletico Wednesday the top three. For PSG this was a first his first touch, and coolly steered home Madrid and dropping 12 points behind leader Relegation fight Las Palmas v Getafe CF 0:00 league loss since a 3-2 defeat at Bordeaux past Kevin Trapp with his second. Barcelona with 12 games to play. Players and The title fight is virtually over but there is still beIN SPORTS 9 HD in March 2015, although they remain 23 Coach Zinedine Zidane admit that the focus plenty of action near the bottom of the table. GERMAN BUNDESLIGA points clear of Monaco at the top of the Lucas goal not enough now will be on the Champions League, with the Five teams are within four points of relegation table. With the unbeaten run close to coming Hannover 96 v VfL Wolfsburg 22:00 club on the verge of as spot in the quarterfinals zone, and several matchups between threat- beIN SPORTS 5 HD Manager admitted that to an end Blanc responded by sending on after a 2-0 win at Roma. ened clubs take place this week. Second-to-last- his side were off the pace and did not Javier Pastore for Benjamin Stambouli at FC Ingolstadt 04 v FC Koln 22:00 However, Madrid is in danger of losing third place Granada hosts 18th-place Sporting Gijon beIN SPORTS 10 deserve to take anything from the game. the interval. The substitute was instrumen- place in the league, which would secure an on Thursday; 15th-place Getafe plays at 17th- “We were too average, myself included,” he tal in creating space in the Lyon penalty automatic spot in next year’s European tourna- place Las Palmas today; and 13th-place Real ITALIAN CUP told Canal+. “Lyon were in a better state of area as the away side pulled one back less ment. It is only two points ahead of fourth-place Betis faces 14th-place Espanyol in Barcelona on AC Milan v Alessandria 23:00 mind. Were we not at our best? I don’t than six minutes into the second period. Villarreal going into its game at last-place Thursday. The bottom three at the end of the beIN SPORTS know, we must regroup.”“We expected a Pastore was crowded out by a group of Levante tomorrow. “Before the Champions season are relegated. — AP difficult game, but not as hard. I took off a home defenders, but the ball broke kindly player at half-time (Benjamin Stambouli), I for Brazilian Lucas, who bent his shot just could have made more changes,” he admit- inside the far post. Lyon went straight up ted. the other end and could have restored Lyon manager Genesio wants his team’s their two-goal cushion, only for Ferri to display to help them kick on for the rest of side-foot wide. It was by far the busiest out- the campaign. “The game counts for three ing for Trapp since his move to Paris last points, but of course beating PSG makes it summer and the German made an excel- more satisfying,” he said. “What pleased lent point-blank save with his legs to keep me? The way we implented the plan, with out Rachid Ghezzal. But last season’s run- the will to press them high. Certainly, we ners-up closed out a fourth win in five were up against one of the best teams in games with ease to move into the third and Europe, but we need to repeat this per- final Champions League place and become formance until the end of the season.” the first team to beat PSG domestically in PSG were looking to extend their record almost a year. Monaco were held to a goal- unbeaten league streak to 37 matches, but less draw by in-form Nantes as Caen Lyon started the stronger at Parc OL and reignited their unlikely Champions League they forged ahead in the 13th minute. push with a 2-1 win at Saint-Etienne. Alexandre Lacazette picked out 19-year-old Monaco are eight points clear in second Cornet, who displayed good footwork to but the six teams directly below are sepa- cut inside Gregory van der Wiel, before rated by just two points in the race for third curling confidently into the far corner to place. Meanwhile, Marseille’s match away grab his third goal. The visitors are to Gazelec Ajaccio was postponed due to not used to being behind and their frustra- the inclement weather in Corsica. — AFP

Zain awards GulfRun Karting Endurance Race winners

KUWAIT: Zain, the leading telecommunica- cater to young people in Kuwait. Zain award- next week, where participants will showcase tions company in Kuwait, awarded the win- ed the first, second and third place winners of their sport cars and thrill visitors. GulfRun is ners of the three first-place winners of the 12 and 24 hours Karting Endurance Races, considered an ideal and safe alternative to GulfRun’s Karting Endurance Race. The honor- which were held at Kuwait’s SIRBB Circuit and street racing, which threatens the lives of ing came as part of the company’s main spon- witnessed immense participation of thrill- many people, many of them young drivers, sorship of the region’s most popular motor- seeking crowds and motorsport enthusiasts, every year. Through GulfRun, motorsport sport activity. both amateur and professional. enthusiasts were able to showcase their tal- KUWAIT: To commemorate late Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, Zain’s sponsorship of the latest edition of GulfRun activities will continue to include ents within professional and certified the knight of challenges, and under the auspices of Sheikha Fadiya Sa’ad Al- this unique motorsport event is in line with the final race in the Kingdom of Bahrain, grounds. By sponsoring this event, Zain also Abdullah, the athletic expert Ali Al-Eidan climbed the Liberation Tower, which is the the company’s strategy and belief in support- which is considered as a true test of partici- looks to highlight its dedication to applying 15 tallest communication Tower in the world, on Friday February 26, 2016. This event ing the youth and sports sectors, and encour- pants’ motorsport skills, in addition to the safety measures while driving on the roads of was done on the occasion of celebrating Kuwait’s liberation. aging the various sporting initiatives that sport cars show that will take place at Murooj Kuwait, especially for the country’s youth.