14 Sports Tuesday, May 18, 2021 thrash Chelsea to win women’s Champions League GOTHENBURG: Barcelona became the first Spanish thought we showed some naivety at times. We’re not plate for Hansen to tap into an empty net. side to win the women’s Champions League with a quite European champions yet, but we are the second Two years ago it was Barca who found themselves stunning performance to thrash Chelsea 4-0 in best team in Europe and I’ll take that as a step in the 4-0 down after just 30 minutes against a dominant Gothenburg on Sunday. The champions right direction.” Lyon side in the Champions League final in . scored all four goals inside 36 minutes as a Melanie The Blues were rocked after just 33 seconds when “We deserve it. It has been a lot of work since the final Leupolz own goal, ’s penalty and simple after ’s shot came back off the crossbar, in Budapest. We had a goal to get back to the final and finishes from Aitana Bonmati and Caroline Graham Fran Kirby’s attempted clearance looped into her own win it and we’ve done it,” said Bonmati, who won play- Hansen killed the game as a contest. net off the unlucky Leupolz. Chelsea had the chance to er of the match. Barca have romped to the Spanish title with a 100 hit back immediately as Pernille Harder, who cost a The French giants had won this competition for the percent record after 26 games in La Liga, boasting a world record transfer fee when she arrived in London past five seasons, but their reign was ended by Paris 123 goal difference. “Congratulations, champions, from Wolfsburg in September, fired over from close Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals, who were then you are unstoppable,” tweeted Barcelona president range. Jenni Hermoso pulled another big chance wide eliminated by Barcelona in the last four. Chelsea will be Joan Laporta. “You are a reference. You are an for Barca before Harder was denied again by a last- hoping to show similar resilience to come back and example. You are one of the big reasons that make ditch tackle in an end-to-end start. But Chelsea were win the competition for the first time as they missed Barca more than a club. You moved us with your shell-shocked once Hermoso went down under out on becoming the first English side to become magnificent victory.” Leupolz’s challenge and Putellas confidently slotted European champions since Arsenal in 2007. Chelsea had been on course for a quadruple, but home the spot-kick. missed a number of chances to pull a goal BILBAO: Real Madrid’s French coach Zinedine Zidane even the big-spending English champions were no A brilliant team move made it 3-0 as Martens fed back for Hayes’s women in the second-half. But Barca gestures during the Spanish League football match match for the Catalans’ speed of thought and move- Hermoso, who drilled a pass into the path of Bonmati could afford the luxury of withdrawing Hansen and between Athletic Club Bilbao and Real Madrid CF at the ment. “Today was difficult because the game was over and she beat Ann-Katrin Berger from close range. Hermoso as they cruised towards the title and set a San Mames stadium in Bilbao on Sunday. — AFP before it began,” said Chelsea manager Emma Hayes. Martens was toying with Chelsea right-back Niamh new record winning margin in a women’s Champions “We will learn from because this is the next step up. I Charles and the Dutch international laid the fourth on a League final. — AFP Zidane denies telling players he will leave Real at end of season

MADRID: Zinedine Zidane has denied already telling his players he will resign as Real Madrid coach at the end of the season. Zidane was asked again about his future after Madrid’s 1-0 victory away at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, a win that keeps them two points behind leaders Atletico Madrid heading into La Liga’s final weekend. According to Onda Cero radio and Goal online earlier on Sunday, Zidane, who has a contract until 2022, informed his squad a week ago that he was going to leave after the team’s final game next week- end. But Zidane said in Sunday’s post-match press conference that was not the case. “How am I going to tell my players that I am going now? It’s a lie,” he said. “I focus on this season. There is a game left and we are going to give everything. I only care what happens in this finale. The rest, we will see at the end of the season.” Former Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri, ex- Madrid striker Raul Gonzalez and Joachim Loew, who will step down as coach at the end of this GOTHENBURG: Barcelona’s players raise their trophy after winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League final between Chelsea FC and FC Barcelona in Gothenburg, summer’s European Championships, have all been , on Sunday. — AFP mentioned as possible successors. Zidane hinted on Saturday he could leave, saying he believes “there comes a time when it’s the moment to change”. “I don’t leave because it’s easy. It’s not like I turn Solskjaer hopes fans PSG move point behind Lille away and don’t look back,” Zidane said. “No, there are moments when you have to be there and there are will cheer not jeer on to re-ignite French title chase moments when that’s it, it’s finished, it’s time to change. PARIS: Lille’s bid to win the Ligue 1 title will go to the have an significantly inferior goal difference to both But for the good of everyone, not just for me.” return to Old Trafford final weekend of the season after Sunday’s goalless Lille and PSG and would therefore need to win at Lens draw with Saint-Etienne allowed Paris Saint-Germain on the final day and hope both their rivals lose their ‘Extraordinary’ Suarez to move to within a point of the leaders. Reigning fixtures. Diego Simeone hailed Luis Suarez as “extraordi- LONDON: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes Manchester champions PSG strolled to a simple 4-0 win over 10- They hold the final Champions League spot but are nary” on Sunday after the Uruguayan scored the goal United fans will ditch their protests against club own- man Reims to pile the pressure on Lille, who will looking over their shoulders at Lyon, who are a point that could win Atletico Madrid La Liga, his late winner ers, the Glazer family, and cheer on the team when nonetheless claim the French title for the first time further back in fourth following their flamboyant 5-2 snatching a dramatic 2-1 win over Osasuna. “He’s supporters return to Old Trafford for the first time in since 2011 if they win at mid-table Angers next win at Nimes, who were relegated following the defeat extraordinary,” said Diego Simeone. “He came here more than a year on Tuesday. Sunday. Christophe Galtier’s Lille hit the post in the and wins for both Lorient and Nantes. wanting to prove people wrong, wanting to show that final seconds of a frustrating match with little in the Nimes’ fight to stay in the top flight looked on when he was a forward still at the top of his game. Who bet- way of goalmouth incident. It was not the display the Moussa Kone capitalised on a poor backpass to open ter than him to decide a match that seemed to be get- fans who had gathered to follow the team bus to the the scoring in the fifth minute, but Lucas Paqueta lev- ting away from us?” Stade Pierre Mauroy ahead of the match expected and elled for away side Lyon just three minutes later and Atletico’s players and substitutes piled onto Suarez will leave those supporters with frayed finger nails from then on it was almost one-way traffic. in the corner and at full-time, some of their players next weekend. Memphis Depay crashed home Lyon’s second in the dropped to their knees, not with ecstasy, but relief, the “Our start was very sluggish. It was a little better 20th minute and nine minutes later Paqueta had his title now just one win away. “These are moments of afterwards, but we could not expect much success second with a low strike from the edge of the area. happiness,” said Suarez. “It was one of the best first tonight because we played a very average game,” said Paqueta then laid on Houssem Aouar for the fourth halves of the season. We missed a lot of chances, me in Galtier. “We are still ahead. We have a final in Angers nine minutes after the break and although Kone pulled particular, but to win the league you have to suffer and that we will have to win if we want to be champions.” one back for Nimes just after the hour mark Islam today we stepped up.”—AFP PSG meanwhile were gifted a perfect start at the Slimani sent them down three minutes from the end. Parc des Princes when Yunis Abdelhamid handled Nimes are five points behind Nantes, who occupy Kylian Mbappe’s shot in front of an empty goal, con- the relegation play-off position, and six behind AC Milan complicate ceding a penalty and being sent off in the process. Strasbourg, Brest and Lorient who are all aiming to MANCHESTER: Demonstrators protest against Neymar slotted home the spot-kick in the 13th minute avoid a clash with a team from Ligue 2 to save their Manchester United’s owners outside Old Trafford stadi- and 11 minutes later Mbappe pounced on a wayward place in the top division. With the top four places Champions League um in Manchester, north west England, on Thursday, pass across the area by Thomas Foket to tap home the sewn up Marseille need just a point to secure fifth ahead of the English Premier League football match second. Marquinhos made it three in the 68th minute place and Europa League football next season after fate with stalemate between Manchester United and Liverpool. — AFP with a thumping header from Neymar’s corner. Moise hat-trick hero Arkadiusz Milik fired them to a last- Kean rounded off an easy win for PSG one minute gasp win over Angers. Poland forward Milik, who is from the end. on loan from Napoli, struck the winning penalty in MILAN: AC Milan complicated their passage to the United’s last three home games have featured fans the fifth minute of added time to complete his treble Champions League with a goalless draw at home protesting against the Glazers after they signed up to Monaco close gap after Remain Thomas had leveled for Angers with against Cagliari in the on Sunday. Stefano the European Super League before the supporters Monaco are also still in with a potential shout for only five minutes remaining. Jorge Sampaoli’s Pioli’s side could have sealed a return to elite furious reaction saw them withdraw hastily. United’s the title after their 2-1 home win over Rennes moved Marseille are three points ahead of sixth-placed Lens European football for the first time since the 2013- home game with Liverpool had to be postponed earli- Niko Kovac’s third-placed side three points behind with a superior goal difference ahead of their final 2014 season with a win over the Sardinians. er this month when fans broke into the stadium and got Lille with one to play. However the Principality club fixture at Metz next weekend. — AFP But with star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic injured the onto the pitch. The re-scheduled game last Thursday northerners dropped points with a top-four finish also featured protests outside the ground — as did going down to the wire in their final game at second- last Tuesday’s home defeat to Leicester. Solskjaer placed Atalanta next weekend. “We were too tense,” wants to hear more positive sounds when they host said Milan coach Pioli. “We had the game of a lifetime relegated Fulham where victory would secure them against Juventus, then Torino, so it will be another second place in the table. against Atalanta. We will have to try.” Around 10,000 fans are expected to attend as the Atalanta ensured a third consecutive season of latest easing of the British government’s coronavirus Champions League football with a 4-3 win over Genoa restrictions comes into force. Although some clubs on Saturday. Milan are third, equal on 76 points with welcomed back around 2,000 fans for a short spell last fourth-placed Napoli, who won 2-0 at Fiorentina earli- December the last time a club entertained a sell out er on Sunday. But Juventus are just a point further crowd was Leicester’s 4-0 win against Aston Villa at behind on 75 after beating champions Inter Milan 3-2, the King Power Stadium on March 9, 2020. with their final game at Bologna. “We’ve been waiting for a long, long time to wel- Cagliari had already assured their top flight survival come the fans back,” said Solskjaer at his eve-of- before kick-off after Crotone held Benevento 1-1. match press conference. “Of course the last couple of Milan had beaten Torino 7-0 midweek, but the hosts’ home games, especially the Liverpool ones with the poor home form continued with just eight wins out of protests... It’s never nice to see a club that is not unit- 19 games played in the San Siro. Hakan Calhanoglu, ed, fans with the team, so we’re hoping that Tuesday is Samu Castillejo, and Ante Rebic going to be a positive day that we move together, that all missed chances with Cagliari also threatening. we play a good game of football.” saved two second-half headers Solskjaer, though, blames the protests for their last from Leonardo Pavoletti and Diego Godin. two home defeats to Leicester and Liverpool. Even Napoli’s final game will be at home against midtable without the protests United’s overall home form this Hellas Verona. Juventus play their final game at season has been poor — six defeats in all — and Bologna desperate to avoid missing out on the effectively cost them giving champions Manchester Champions League for the first time in a decade. Lazio will not play among the European elite next season City a run for their money in the title race. Their away PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian defender Marquinhos (center) is challenged during the French L1 after a 2-0 derby defeat to Roma on Saturday. Sixth- form by contrast has been scintillating — unbeaten on football match between Paris Saint-Germain and Stade de Reims at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris placed Lazio are eight points behind Juventus having the road in the Premier League this season and have on Sunday. — AFP not lost an away league game in 15 months.—AFP played a game less.—ÅFP