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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2016 SPORTS Allegri wants more as Juve target club record MILAN: Juventus coach Massimiliano the likes of Paul Pogba, Alvaro Morata ting twice in a 3-0 rout of Inter Milan in allow Allegri to overtake the club record Higuain hit his 22nd league goal in a Allegri believes his impressive crop of and Paulo Dybala-who are integral to the the first leg of their Italian Cup semi-final. of 12 set by former coach Antonio Conte 5-1 thumping of Empoli on Sunday to young stars can achieve even more as Turin giants’ chances of success this sea- “Morata had been scoring in training in the 2013-2014 season. But Allegri equal the 22-goal tally that earned they target a club record of 13 successive son. And the 48-year-old Italian has already over the past couple of weeks added: “To me, records don’t matter. Mauro Icardi (Inter) and Luca Toni league wins with the visit of Genoa brushed aside the importance of record- and when that happens, it’s always likely What’s the point of winning 20 in a row if (Verona) a share of the top scorer’s today. setting feats under his tenure. “I think we that you’ll find the net in matches as it doesn’t win you the title.” Yet Juve’s ‘Capocannoniere’ trophy. Napoli ham- The four-time consecutive champions can make improvements both collective- well.” chances of a record-equalling fifth mered Lazio 5-0 in only their fourth have put their miserable start to the sea- ly and individually,” said Allegri, high- And despite Dybala being voted the straight scudetto were boosted by game under coach Maurizio Sarri, but son behind them and closed to within lighting one of several misses by Pogba club’s MVP for the month of January, results elsewhere at the weekend. the tracksuit-wearing, chain-smoking 57- two points of leaders Napoli following a before the Frenchman found the net in when he hit four of his 12 league goals As Napoli and Juve triumphed, year-old has called for caution. 4-0 rout of Chievo in Verona on Sunday. the 67th minute in Verona. so far, the Argentinian is constantly Fiorentina’s scoreless stalemate at Genoa “We’re playing well and we’re in good After being ruled out of title con- “Pogba’s final effort on goal is a case reminded that he is not the finished arti- left them eight points off the pace while condition, but I’m not certain we can tention at the start of the season, Allegri in point, when he struck the crossbar by cle. “He has been doing well, but he still Inter’s 3-0 derby reverse at AC Milan left keep this up all the way till the end of the was only too happy to announce the Old hitting the ball too hard. Instead, he has plenty of room for improvement,” Roberto Mancini’s title challengers nine season.” Mancini, meanwhile, will watch Lady is back with a bang. “Our 12 con- might have opted to place his shot to said Allegri. Allegri’s stance is seen as an points in arrears. Napoli travel to Lazio from the stands when Inter host Chievo secutive wins are a signal to the rest of better effect.” effort to spur the trio onto greater looking for their seventh win on the trot looking for their first win in five games the league that we are back in con- Allegri had kinder words for Morata, things, and recent evidence suggests and with Argentinian striker Gonzalo after he received a one-game ban and a tention for the title,” Allegri said on who hit a brace at Chievo to take his they have been paying attention. A 13th Higuain in the hunt for a 23rd Serie A fine of 5,000 euros for slandering the ref- Sunday. But Allegri expects more from goals tally to the week to four after net- consecutive win on Wednesday would goal in as many games this term. eree at Sunday’s San Siro clash. —AFP Guardiola swoop key to Man City’s global domination bid MANCHESTER: A dream four years in the come in and some guys are going to have making was finally realised when Pep to leave the place, trust me. Guardiola was announced as Manchester “When he came to Barcelona he wanted City’s next manager, a development the some players out. He did the same to club’s billionaire owners hope will trans- Bayern Munich. form world football on and off the field. “He will do the same in Manchester. The On it, the respected 44-year-old, cur- one thing you can be sure of - he wants to rently seeing out his final season with dominate.” Bayern Munich, will be handed the simple That will be music to the ears of City target of winning the Champions League executives and one thing appears guaran- within the three-year contract he has teed about the new regime at the club - agreed, and which will pay him a reported there will be plenty of activity in the close- 20 million euros ($21 million) a season. season transfer window. Off the field, and into the realm of foot- Guardiola must determine whether ball finance and commercialisation, City injury-prone club captain Vincent Kompany believe Guardiola will eventually help ele- is the man around whom he can build his vate them to the level of Manchester defence. United, Real Madrid and Barcelona, not It would also appear to be the end of only because of his own profile and stand- the road for fans’ favourite Yaya Toure who ing in the sports world but because of the fell out of favour in their time at the Nou quality of player he will be able to attract to Camp. Of course, it is the incomings that Eastlands, armed with the bottomless will make for greater interest and a number wealth of their Abu Dhabi royal family own- of his former stars at Bayern and Barcelona ership. will inevitably be linked with City. — AFP A mooted attempt to sign Barcelona’s star striker Lionel Messi has long since been back page gossip for English tabloid news- papers but now, with the world’s wealthiest Matches on TV club having signed, arguably, the world’s (Local Timings) best manager, such a move no longer sounds quite so fanciful. English Premier League It is precisely that kind of signing City will be hoping to pull off this year, in an Everton v Newcastle 22:45 attempt to improve on their displays in beIN SPORTS 11 HD Europe which have so far seen them fail to Watford v Chelsea 22:45 progress beyond the last 16 of the beIN SPORTS 2 HD LOS ANGELES: International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach kicks a soccer ball during a visit to UCLA, Monday. Bach is visiting Los Champions League. Angeles to check out proposed venues for the 2024 Olympic Games. Thomas Bach’s visit to the University of Southern California and UCLA cam- But, of more far-reaching importance, Spain Copa del Rey puses, as well as the Getty Center. —AP the arrival of a global footballing icon like Barcelona v Valencia 23:00 Messi would help City in their aim to beIN SPORTS become the most famous and successful football club on the planet, instead of just Italian Calcio League the wealthiest. Frosinone v Bologna 20:30 Under-fire Neville faces Signings such as David Silva and Sergio beIN SPORTS Aguero rank among the greatest talent ever seen in the Premier League but those Fiorentina v Carpi 22:45 players, and the rest of the current City beIN SPORTS Inter v Chievo Verona 22:45 daunting Barca Cup semi squad, lack the commercial clout and pres- ence carried by a Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo beIN SPORTS or Neymar. Juventus v Genoa 22:45 A deal late last year saw Chinese consor- beIN SPORTS BARCELONA: European champions Barcelona moments you live for as a coach and a player,” he past nine-man Atletico Madrid 2-1 on Saturday. tium CMC invest £265 million for a stake in Lazio v SSC Napoli 22:45 continue their quest for a second consecutive said. One of Neville’s boldest moves has been to “It suits us to have four days rest before host- treble when Gary Neville’s off-form Valencia visit name top scorer Paco Alcacer captain in place of ing Valencia,” said defender Javier Mascherano. City, leading to reports the club will tour beIN SPORTS the Camp Nou in the first-leg of their Copa del Dani Parejo and he is hopeful the Spanish inter- “We have managed to keep winning and China later this year, where Guardiola may Hellas Verona v Atalanta 22:45 Rey semi-final yesterday. national will be fit to feature after two weeks out we’re in an ideal situation, but in any moment it be unveiled for the first time. beIN SPORTS Valencia’s run to the last four of the Cup has with an ankle injury. “By Tuesday we’ll have a full can slip away so we have to keep going.” Empoli v Udinese Calcio 22:45 COURTSHIP been the only positive of a difficult start for the complement of players, Paco is looking good The other semi-final sees Sevilla entertain beIN SPORTS England coach in his first managerial role. and is back running again.” Celta Vigo in their first-leg on Thursday. In such relatively ‘new’ football markets, Sampdoria v Torino 22:45 Guardiola will carry far more impact than A first defeat at home in La Liga since The visitors could also hand debuts to Denis After a difficult start to the campaign, Sevilla beIN SPORTS November 2014, 1-0 against Sporting Gijon on Cheryshev and Guilherme Siqueira after they have won 11 consecutive games in all competi- his predecessor Manuel Pellegrini and the Citta v AC Milan 22:45 level of high-class superstar City could now Sunday, stretched Neville’s winless streak in La sealed loan deals from Real Madrid and Atletico tions at home.