TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014 SPORTS Group stage berths in sight for Arsenal, Celtic

PARIS: Arsenal and Celtic headline a list of sides seek- new coach Ronny Deila. The Glasgow giants were Saturday at Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the fixture at Parkhead. “The players will have no prob- ing to clinch a place in the lucrative Champions handed a reprieve after Legia Warsaw fielded an ineli- Scottish Premiership. lem picking themselves up. We have a new game League group stage this week in the return legs of gible player in the previous round but suffered a set- Deila, though, expects his players to respond and now and we are going to bounce back on Tuesday,” the play-offs. Ten-man Arsenal escaped Turkey with a back as a weakened Celtic side slumped to a 1-0 loss capitalise on their second chance in Tuesday’s return Deila told the club’s in-house television channel, goalless draw against Besiktas but the Gunners Celtic TV. Striker Anthony Stokes was confident the remain on course for a 17th consecutive group phase 1967 European champions would return to the group appearance although they will be without suspended stage for a third straight season. midfielder Aaron Ramsey for tomorrow’s second leg. ”We are in pole position now going back. We are Arsene Wenger’s men displayed their resilience by ahead in the tie and we are going back to coming from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw at where we fancy our chances,” the Irishman told Everton in the on Saturday and Jack UEFA.com. Wilshere believes the result puts them in a perfect “It’s not for me to say (if Celtic are favourites to go frame of mind to wrap up the tie with Besiktas. through). We are ahead in the tie, like I said. But it is “This is a fantastic point and now we have a big going to be a difficult game. They’re a very good game tomorrow and this will give us great confi- technical team. “But we won’t take our eye off the dence going into that,” the England midfielder told ball. We’ll fully focus and give it 100 percent.” Arsenal.com after the match at Goodison Park. “We Two-time former champions Porto, who hold a 1-0 never give up and at this level that is massive. We lead from the first leg, will look to wrap up their tie have always shown over the years that Arsenal are with French side Lille in Portugal today, while Athletic going to battle like mad right until the end.” The Bilbao versus Napoli is the pick of the fixtures tomor- north London club boasts a proud record of having row. Athletic are bidding to qualify for the group never lost a Champions League qualifying tie and stage for the first time since 1998/99 and gained the although last week’s draw was the first time in 13 upper hand with a 1-1 draw against Napoli, knocked matches they’d failed to win a play-off encounter, the out of a group containing Arsenal last season, in Italy. goal is quite simple for Wenger. Bayer Leverkusen reached the last 16 last time out “We know the second leg will be tight again, but and are on course to return to Europe’s premier club we are at home, so the task is clear for us - we want to competition after a 3-2 win over FC Copenhagen in win,” said the Arsenal boss, who led the club to the Denmark last week. Leverkusen, led by new coach 2006 Champions League final. Celtic were held to a 1- Roger Schmidt, were further boosted by an impres- 1 draw at Slovenian champions Maribor in the first ISTANBUL: Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud gestures during the UEFA Champions League play-off first leg sive 2-0 success at Borussia Dortmund in their leg but the Scots remain favourites to progress under football match Besiktas vs Arsenal at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul. — AFP Bundesliga opener on Saturday. — AFP Palace struggling to find a new manager

LONDON: Crystal Palace co-chairman new players to Selhurst Park before the Steve Parish has admitted it has proved current transfer window closes on tougher than he expected for the Premier September 1. League club to find a successor to manag- Parish said he’d only met former Cardiff er Tony Pulis. The former Eagles boss quit City manager Malky Mackay and ex- his post with the south London side, Tottenham Hotspur boss Tim Sherwood reportedly in a row with Parish over trans- to discuss the vacancy caused by Pulis’s fer funds. Parish said yesterday he hoped eve of season exit. It appeared Mackay to have a new manager installed by “the was in line to take the job but the Scot’s early part of this week”, in a bid to bring hopes were dashed when allegations made by Cardiff that he had been involved in sending racist and homopho- bic text messages were published by the Daily Mail newspaper. The same row also led to the resignation of Palace’s sporting director Iain Moody, previously Mackay’s assistant at Cardiff. Caretaker manager Keith Millen will remain in charge for Palace’s League Cup tie away to third-tier Walsall on Tuesday as the Eagles try to return to winning ways following last weekend’s 3-1 league defeat by West Ham. “You read all sorts of things about how many people we’ve seen,” Parish told the Croydon Advertiser. “I have seen very few people, probably two, but spoken to other people about managers and doing background work and due diligence. “It’s not a revolving door of people coming in and having a LYON: Lens’ Madagascan midfielder Lalaina Nomenjanahary (center) vies for the ball with Lyon’s Cameroonian forward Clinton NJie(left) and chat. We have got a profile of a manager Lyon’s French defender Mouhamadou Dabo (right) during the French L1 football match between Lyon (OL) and Lens (RCL) at the Gerland stadi- we think needs to carry the club forward um in Lyon. — AFP based on what I’ve experienced over the Crystal Palace’s caretaker manager Keith last four years. “Finding the right person FRENCH ROUNDUP Millen isn’t easy. A lot of managers are in jobs and they’re not going to leave clubs early in the season, so it’s a difficult situation.” Falcao on target as Among those now linked with the job MATCHES ON TV are former Norwich and Newcastle man- ager Chris Hughton, as well as Neil Lennon, previously in charge of Scottish UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE giants Celtic. Millen admitted he faced a Monaco beat Nantes Zenit v Standard de Liege 19:00 tough task in restoring Palace’s damaged beIN SPORTS 7 HD self-confidence. Celtic v Maribor 21:45 “We conceded twice from set-pieces beIN SPORTS 5 HD (against West Ham) and that’s something Lens stun Lyon 1-0 BATE v Slovan Bratislava 21:45 we haven’t done in the past, and some- thing you can’t afford to do in the Premier PARIS: Promoted Lens recorded their first goal Nomenjanahary netted an 11th-minute goal for team-mate Adamo Coulibary. Wylan Cyprien beIN SPORTS 2 HD League,” he said. “You put a brave face on and points of the season with a 1-0 win Lens and, despite wasting several chances to struck the crossbar with a free-kick shortly after- Porto v Lille 21:45 it of course you do, I’m the one in charge at Lyon while Radamel Falcao lifted Monaco’s increase their lead, it proved enough to secure a wards as Lens continued to apply the pressure beIN SPORTS 1 HD at the moment. “We’ve conceded two spirits in Ligue 1 action on Sunday. The Colombia first victory of the campaign after successive with Touzghar then stabbing over from point- Apoel Nicosia v Aalborg 21:45 goals in three or four minutes, and that striker, who missed the World Cup when out defeats. blank range as the visitors struggled to kill off the beIN SPORTS 3 HD does knock the stuffing out of you, espe- injured for six months, got last season’s runners- Fournier’s injury-riddled side suffered another contest. Lyon pressed for an equalizer with last cially when you’re a bit fragile.” — AFP up finally off the mark at the third attempt blow in midweek with France midfielder Clement season’s top scorer Alexandre Lacazette volleying against Nantes. Winless after their opening two Grenier added to the mounting list of casualties just wide while Steed Malbranque hit the base of outings Monaco went into the game at the foot after being sidelined for six to eight weeks fol- the post, but Lens held on to get their campaign More goals for Congolese of the nascent table but climbed up to fourth lowing surgery to fix a lingering groin problem. finally up and running. from bottom when Falcao headed home Layvin Guinean striker Mohamed Yattara, restored to Lens manager Antoine Kombouare said: “Our teenager Kader Bidimbou Kurzawa’s cross for the only goal in the 17th the Lyon line-up after last weekend’s defeat at season has really begun now because we were minute to the relief of among others Monaco’s Toulouse, saw an early chance saved by Lens waiting impatiently to get some points on the JOHANNESBURG: Teenager Kader Finishing first meant shock 2012 new boss Leonardo Jardim. goalkeeper Rudy Riou but it was Lens who made board. “We appreciate this victory with a lot of Bidimbou bagged a brace at the week- Confederation Cup winners Leopards Falcao started at the expense of Bulgarian the early breakthrough at the . pride and joy.” Elsewhere, Saint-Etienne lost their end as Congolese club AC Leopards avoided powerful Egyptians Al-Ahly in striker . While that result at Yoann Touzghar broke in behind the Lyon unbeaten record when held to a goalless home stormed into the CAF Confederation the semi-finals. The Congolese will face Nantes raised spirits at the principality club, defense and squared for Nomenjanahary as draw by Rennes. On Friday, Paris Saint-Germain Cup semi-finals. Needing a draw against another Ivorian outfit, Sewe San Pedro, Lyon’s miserable week had earlier ended on a Bakary Kone completely missed an attempted laboured to a 0-0 draw with Evian in Annecy as Ivorian visitors ASEC Mimosas to be cer- while Coton confront Ahly in a repeat of sour note. Lyon boss Hubert Fournier had hoped clearance, allowing the Malagasy midfielder to Laurent Blanc’s side finished the match with 10 tain of progressing, the Congolese a 2013 CAF Champions League semi- for a response from his side after Thursday’s steer into an empty net for his first top-flight men following the second-half dismissal of came from behind to triumph 4-1 in final they lost on penalties. Coton need- shock 2-1 home defeat to Romanians Astra goal. Touzghar spurned a golden opportunity to Yohan Cabaye. Bordeaux, though, are the early western city Dolisie. The victory, cou- ed a win in Bamako to be sure of retain- Giurgiu in the first leg of the Europa League play- double Lens’ lead just before the hour with Lyon pacesetters with a maximum nine points as Willy pled with Cameroonians Coton Sport ing first place, but were lucky to draw offs, but instead they floundered once more. ‘keeper Anthony Lopes making an excellent low Sagnol’s men came from behind to beat Nice 3-1 drawing 1-1 at Malians Real Bamako, with Jean Joseph Kombous equalizing Madagascar international Lalaina stop to deny him after a barnstorming run from at the Allianz Riviera on Saturday. — AFP gave Leopards top place in Group A on three minutes into stoppage time. Real, the head-to-head rule. whose survival hopes hinged on a Bidimbou, 18, has been a key factor handsome win and Leopards losing, as he scored a hat-trick at Coton on the went ahead just before the break Cruzeiro cruise to yet previous matchday in the second-tier through leading scorer Badry Ali Sylla. African club competition. His six-goal The head-to-head rule was also season tally makes him joint leading needed to determine the top Group B Confederation Cup scorer with Ivorian places with Ahly finishing above Sewe another win in Brazil Foba Stevens Koffi and Zimbabwean because they won and drew against the Kudakwashe Musharu. The Congolese Ivorians. Ahly finished the mini-league scored six of Leopards’ 11 goals in the phase on a low note by only drawing 0- SAO PAULO: The coaches of Coritiba and Paranaense, meanwhile, parted ways with was also involved in the move that allowed mini-league stage with the other five 0 with more creative Tunisians Etoile Atletico Paranaense fell foul of Brazil’s mana- coach Doriva on Sunday after drawing 0-0 Alexandre Pato to grab the winner three min- coming from Cesaire Gandze, who also Sahel in a spectator-less 75,000-seat gerial merry-go-round on Sunday as reigning with Bahia. The former Middlesbrough player utes from time, just seconds after Gabriel had bagged a brace against ASEC. Out-of- Cairo Stadium. Winners of a record 18 champions Cruzeiro won their third succes- won just three times in eight matches. At the equalised for the visitors. contention ASEC were trying to end a CAF titles, Ahly have been forced to play sive match to streak ahead at the top of the top of the table, Cruzeiro extended their lead Internacional and Corinthians remain in five-match win-less run and substitute behind closed doors since supporters first division table. Coritiba’s Celso Roth was to seven points courtesy of a 1-0 win at Goias. third and fourth spots, even though they both Youssef Dao rocked Leopards with a clashed with police after an African fix- replaced by Marquinhos Santos after his side Goias’ David missed a penalty with the last lost, Inter going down 1-0 at Atletico Mineiro goal five minutes before half-time. ture last February. Sewe trounced lost 1-0 to Palmeiras to fall to joint bottom of kick of the ball ensuring Marcelo Moreno’s on Saturday and Corinthians losing 2-1 to Bidimbou, who was capped by Congo Zambians Nkana 3-0 on an artificial the Serie A. goal gave the Belo Horizonte side all three Gremio. Brazil striker Fred scored twice as at the home players-only African Abidjan pitch through goals from His opposite number, Argentine Ricardo points. With two games to go before Serie A Fluminense snapped a three-game winless Nations Championship in South Africa Hermann Kouao, Joseph Kameni and Gareca, breathed a sigh of relief at recording reaches the half way stage Cruzeiro, who have streak to beat Sport 4-0 and they are now in this year, responded by scoring twice Roger Assale. Victory completed a his first victory since joining the club in June. topped the table for 12 consecutive weeks, fifth. Fans had abused the striker in midweek within four minutes before half-time. remarkable turnaround by the Ivorians, The former Velez Sarsfield coach had threat- are seven points clear with 39 points. Sao and players threatened to strike but Fred was Rattled ASEC fell further behind a who were bottom of the table with just ened to resign if his players did not win but Paulo moved into second place after a hard- outstanding and gracious with the fans who minute into the second half when three points from a possible 12 after Saturday’s victory helped the club out of the fought 2-1 win over rivals Santos. Paulo turned out at the Maracana. “Thanks for the Gandze scored the first of his two goals. four matchdays. — AFP relegation zone just three days before they Henrique Ganso continued his recent run of support,” he said on Instagram. “Our team celebrate their 100th birthday. Atletico good form with a volley in the first half and he appreciates it!”— Reuters