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Home , Ander Herrera, Georginio Wijnaldum, Keylor Navas, Marquinhos

Established 1961 15 Sports Sunday, August 22, 2021 Mbappe on target as PSG win without Messi and We need to build a team, that is the challenge: Pochettino PARIS: Kylian Mbappe and Angel di Maria were Donnarumma’s fellow European champion, Marco both among the scorers as a Paris Saint-Germain Verratti, did play for the first time this season in side missing both and Neymar won 4- midfield but skipper was still missing. 2 away at Brest on Friday to make it three wins out Mbappe has dominated headlines in Paris as of three this season in . speculation surrounds the future of the World Cup and Idrissa Gana Gueye also winner, who is out of contract at the end of the found the net as PSG moved ominously on to nine campaign and is wanted by Real . However points from a possible nine and clear at the top of he set up a total of four goals in the opening league the fledgling French table with a second consecutive wins against Troyes and Strasbourg, and once again 4-2 victory. The full house of 15,000 in Brittany Mbappe played a central role in the rudimentary were denied the chance to see Messi make his PSG surroundings of the Stade Francis-Le Ble. debut after the Argentine was left out of the squad as he continues to build up his fitness. Neymar, who like Messi returned to training late after going all the way to the final of the Copa America last month, was also left out but PSG once Fans denied again showed that they have little trouble finding the net and winning without the two superstars. chance to see However, once again their defending left a lot to Messi’s debut be desired and will have given coach food for thought with a number of play- ers still waiting on the sidelines. “I prefer to win, but if I could choose a result I would prefer to win without conceding a goal,” Pochettino said. “We BREST: Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring a goal during the have lots of star names but we need to build a team, PSG went ahead midway through the first half French L1 football match between Stade Brestois and Paris Saint-Germain at Francis-Le Ble Stadium in that is the challenge. It won’t be easy because we when Mbappe’s clipped cross was cleared out to Brest on Friday. — AFP need to find a balance among all the talented play- the edge of the area where Herrera met the ball on ers we have. It will take time.” the volley and the Spaniard’s shot found the bottom appeared to put the game to bed when he made it the 90th minute when Di Maria broke downfield corner. Mbappe made it 2-0 in the 36th minute, 3-1 in the 73rd minute with a piledriver from 35 and played a one-two with Achraf Hakimi before Donnarumma on the bench arriving to head in his first goal of the season after meters which Brest’s Dutch international goalkeeper scoring with a delightful lob. Di Maria had come on Italy’s Euro 2020 goalkeeping hero Gianluigi ’s shot had been blocked. could only help on its way. for Mbappe late on for his first appearance of the Donnarumma appeared in the squad for the first Brest got one back just before the break when Yet Brest pulled another one back five minutes campaign and his goal was reminiscent of his win- time since arriving from AC Milan but was left on Franck Honorat finished first-time after a fine back- from time through Steve Mounie and PSG were ner for Argentina in the Copa America final against the bench as started in goal. heel lay-off by Romain Faivre. Nevertheless Gueye actually in danger of conceding an equalizer until last month. - AFP Marsch wins battle of US bosses as Leipzig thrash Stuttgart Film stars bring BERLIN: Jesse Marsch celebrated first half, chalking up 12 shots on goal his first Bundesliga win in charge of before they finally broke Stuttgart’s glamour to Welsh RB Leipzig in a battle of the US defenses on 38 minutes. coaches on Friday, as his side cruised The goal was worth waiting for, as to a 4-0 victory over Pellegrino Szoboszlai smashed the ball into the football outpost Matarazzo’s VfB Stuttgart. Victory bottom corner from outside the area Wrexham brought a rare sprinkling of was a welcome boost for new Leipzig to open his Bundesliga account. Emil PARIS: stardust to the fifth tier of English football when boss Marsch, in the first ever clash Forsberg doubled the lead straight they belatedly kicked off their National League between two American coaches in the from the kick-off in the second half, campaign at Solihull Moors yesterday. The club Bundesliga. flicking the ball past the goalkeeper from the market town and former mining hub in Hungarian Dominik after a brilliant backheel assist from northeast Wales only missed the promotion play- Szoboszlai scored brilliant long-range Andre Silva. offs for a place in the Football League by one goals either side of half-time as Szoboszlai made it 3-0 almost by point last season, but that is not the reason for Leipzig bounced back from a disap- accident a few minutes later. His the upsurge in optimism. pointing opening day loss to Mainz last fizzing free-kick was intended as a LEIPZIG: Leipzig’s US head coach Jesse Marsch reacts next to Leipzig’s mascot Wrexham has surprising new owners and week. “It was a great reaction after last cross, but sailed into the bottom cor- Bulli after the German first division Bundesliga football match between RB while most fans in Britain dread Americans taking weekend. We said we needed to show ner without anyone else getting a Leipzig and VfB Stuttgart in Leipzigon Friday. —AFP over their clubs, so far at Wrexham the signs are our passion today, and we were sharp touch. “You don’t get much better good. One of them is also very big. Last week- from the very beginning,” said Marsch. than that in front of the fans on your end, huge white letters imitating the famous “It was a great performance from home debut,” said the Hungarian. a hotly disputed handball decision. didn’t really play a team of this quality Hollywood sign but spelling out ‘W.R.E.X.H.A.M’ us, but we have to keep playing Silva then also scored his first goal “The penalty decision did not change in pre-season, and talking about appeared above the town, although, instead of bravely,” he added. Marsch’s side put for Leipzig on his home bow, coolly the game. Leipzig were just a class something is different to actually the sun-kissed hills above Tinsel Town, the sign on a furious attacking display in the converted from the penalty spot after above today,” said Matarazzo. “We experiencing it.” — AFP rests on the slagheap of a disused coalmine. It emerged on Friday that the sign had been paid 33rd consecutive victory, which remains the longest for by the sponsors of the National League. Knicks-Raptors game winning streak in NBA history. Each NBA club will In February, Ryan Reynolds and Rob play 82 games in a season starting October 19 and McElhenney, two Hollywood movers and shak- among NBA 75th ending April 10, 2022. ers, bought the club, saying they wanted to The league earlier announced its opening night turn it into a “global force”. Canadian Reynolds schedule, with Brooklyn at reigning champion is a Hollywood A lister, the star of “Deadpool” anniversary tributes Milwaukee and Golden State at the Lakers. Also and the former husband of Scarlett Johansson. revealed earlier was a Christmas Day lineup featur- McElhenney has a less glitzy filmography but NEW YORK: Games paying tribute to key ing Atlanta at New York, Boston at Milwaukee, has produced long-running US TV hit “It’s moments in NBA history were among those Golden State at Phoenix, Brooklyn at the Lakers Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. Now the pair announced Friday as the league revealed its 2021- and Dallas at Utah. face the more difficult task of making 2022 season schedule, which will begin on October This year’s two top selections in the NBA Draft, Wrexham sunny. 19. The Toronto Raptors will visit the New York number one Cade Cunningham of Detroit and num- The club has a proud history but has never Knicks on November 1 to mark the 75th anniversary ber two Jalen Green of Houston, are set to face each come close to being a ‘global force’. Until this of the league’s first regular-season contest, which other in the regular season for the first time when year its most famous name was Joey Jones, who was played between the Knicks and Toronto the Pistons visit Houston on November 10. became the first Welshman to win the European Huskies on November 1, 1946. On January 17, the NBA’s Martin Luther King Jr LAS VEGAS: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Cup when he was with Liverpool but had three The teams who have been part of every NBA Day celebration will include Chicago at Memphis in Pistons poses for a portrait during 2021 NBA Rookie spells and 270 games at Wrexham. campaign — the Knicks, Boston Celtics and Golden the Grizzlies’ 20th annual game on the US holiday Photo Shoot on August 15, 2021 at UNLV Campus in Wrexham played in the Football League from State Warriors who began in Philadelphia — will and Milwaukee at Atlanta in a rematch of this year’s Las Vegas, Nevada. — AFP 1921 to 2009, reaching the second division for play one another across three games in a five-day Eastern Conference finals plus Utah at the Los four seasons in the late 1970s and early 1980s. December stretch. The Warriors will visit New York Angeles Lakers. The first matchup between this year’s NBA Before they were exiled from the Welsh Cup on December 14 and Boston three nights later while Six-time NBA All-Star Kyle Lowry of Miami, Finals rivals will be played on February 10 when because they opted to remain in the English the Knicks will visit the Celtics on December 18. who spent the past nine seasons with Toronto and the Bucks visit the Phoenix Suns, with Milwaukee leagues, Wrexham appeared eight times in the On January 7, 2022, the Atlanta Hawks will visit helped the Raptors to the 2019 NBA crown, will playing host to the Suns in the rematch on March old Cup Winners Cup, losing 2-1 on aggregate the Los Angeles Lakers in a game played 50 years lead the Heat into Toronto for the first time since 6. The opening game of next year’s NBA Finals is to Anderlecht in the quarter-finals in 1976. to the day after the Lakers beat Atlanta for their leaving for Miami on February 3. set for June 2. — AFP They have been stuck among English foot- ball’s barely-noticed since 2009. Yet star power is drawing in fans. The club halted season-ticket sales at 5,500 at the 10,500-capacity Antetokounmpo joins Racecourse Ground. In 2019-20, Wrexham drew an average of 4,057. Promoting his latest block- ownership of MLB Brewers buster, “Free Guy”, Reynolds found himself in the unusual position, for a Hollywood actor, of dis- WASHINGTON: Greek NBA star berth. Brewers chairman and princi- cussing Wrexham. Giannis Antetokounmpo sparked the pal owner Mark Attanasio intro- “Well, first off, super excited,” he told a press Milwaukee Bucks to their first title in duced Antetokounmpo, the first new conference this month. “I mean, we’ve made no 50 years and on Friday became a part individual investor in the Brewers secret of that, it’s the role of a lifetime for both owner of Major League Baseball’s ownership group since Attanasio me and for Rob McElhenney.” He also made clear Milwaukee Brewers. Merging the took control of the team in 2005. he was aware of British fans’ suspicion of worlds of the slam dunk and home “We’re honored to have Giannis join Americans. “I wouldn’t dare call it soccer,” he run, Antetokounmpo donned a our team of Milwaukee Brewers said. “I care about my well-being enough to not Brewers jersey in a ceremony at the investors,” Attanasio said. “Giannis call it soccer.” baseball club’s home ballpark. is a great athlete, a world champion, Reynolds is not the only Hollywood star get- “The city of Milwaukee means so and a true local hero with interna- ting into soccer. Eva Longoria owns stakes in much to me,” Antetokounmpo said. tional renown.” Nexaca in Mexico and, like Natalie Portman, in “I’m honored to be joining the Antetokounmpo signed a five-year Angel City FC, a Los Angeles women’s team. Will Brewers ownership group to further contract extension with the Bucks Ferrell, Matthew McConaughey and Drew Carey LAS VEGAS: Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks gives a thumbs-up my commitment and dedication to worth $228 million last December. own stakes in Major League soccer franchises. as he leaves a game between the Bucks and the Minnesota Timberwolves during this great community. I take great Just last month, the Greek standout In the 1950s and 1960s baseball was fashion- the 2021 NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on August 13, 2021 pride in my city and I’m excited and two-time NBA Most Valuable able. Bing Crosby invested in the Pittsburgh in Las Vegas, Nevada. — AFP about what we can build together.” Player took the Bucks back to the top Pirates, Bob Hope in the, now renamed, The Brewers, 74-48, lead the of the NBA with a victory over the Cleveland Indians, Danny Kaye in the Seattle National League Central division by Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals. half-century of futility since their World Series championship final in Mariners. Bill Murray has a stake in the minor- 8 1/2 games over Cincinnati as they The Brewers, formed in 1969, have only other crown. The Brewers lost 1982, falling to the St Louis Cardinals league St Paul Saints. — AFP chase a fourth consecutive playoff had even less success than the Bucks’ their only appearance in MLB’s in the maximum seven games. — AFP