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Friday 47 Sports Friday, October 27, 2017 Tensions creeping in at PSG as questions asked of two stars PARIS: Tensions are creeping in at Paris Saint- and his self-indulgence. Neymar’s tendency to Germain with questions raised as to whether hold possession sees him invariably trying to Neymar and Kylian Mbappe - the world’s two dribble his way through teams, and often leads most expensive players - are so far justifying their him to randomly drop deep into midfield to get price tags. PSG is unbeaten and has scored 43 on the ball as much as possible. goals in 13 games overall, yet the mood seems surprisingly quizzical ahead of Friday’s home Second fiddle blues match against Nice. When he does pass, his preference to seek out Both players were heavily criticized following Mbappe often comes at the expense of Cavani - in 2-2 draw at Marseille who scored 49 goals in all last weekend, which al- competitions last season. lowed second-place Cavani and Neymar dis- Monaco - the defending Both players agreed last month over champion - to close who should take a penalty PSG’s lead to four points were heavily in a league game, and after 10 league games. their relationship does not Mbappe didn’t make any criticized appear to be a particu- impact up front and larly harmonious one. Ca- omitted to track back vani’s patience could well whenever Marseille be tested - yet again. broke on the counterattack. Neymar did score his The Uruguay striker previously played second seventh league goal since joining from Barcelona, fiddle for three years when Zlatan Ibrahimovic but his red card gave Marseille the chance to was PSG’s star player, and whether he is prepared dominate late. to do so again could prove crucial to the club’s It was the Brazil forward’s fifth red card since chances of going far in the Champions League. MARSEILLE: Marseille’s Jordan Amavi, left, challenges for the ball with PSG’s Kylian Mbappe breaking into the Santos team in 2009 and, not PSG has failed to get past the quarterfinals de- during the League One soccer match between Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain. —AP for the first time, resulted from a petulant reaction. spite huge investment since Qatari backers QSI And it almost proved costly. For the second took charge six years ago. But after even bigger straight league game, PSG needed an injury-time spending during the offseason - with Neymar and mar is known as the MCN - continuing the theme MSN (Messi-Suarez-Neymar). Although prolific goal - this time from top scorer Edinson Cavani. Mbappe costing a combined 402 million euros for abbreviations first launched when Real in attacking terms, PSG’s trio causes an imbalance Criticism of Neymar this week centered on his ($475 million) - a semifinal is surely the minimum Madrid’s BBC (Bale-Benzema-Cristiano elsewhere on the field simply soaks up so much lack of composure, his reluctance to track back, target. The attack of Mbappe, Cavani and Ney- (Ronaldo)) attack was compared with Barcelona’s possession. —AP West Ham stun Spurs to reach Sluggish Atletico held League Cup at Elche in Cup opener quarters MADRID: Atletico Madrid’s stuttering form on the road continued as a much-changed side were held 1-1 at third-tier Elche in the LONDON: West Ham completed a stun- first leg of their Copa del Rey last 32 tie on Wednesday. Thomas ning turnaround on Wednesday, roaring Partey had headed the visitors into an early lead at the Martinez back from two goals down against Totten- Valero stadium as Atletico dominated before half-time. However, ham Hotspur to reach the League Cup after Luciano Vietto struck the post and Keidi Bare fired a great quarter-finals while Chelsea saw off the chance straight at Guillermo Vallejo, Diego Simeone’s men were challenge of Everton. Slaven Bilic’s much- punished for their profligacy six minutes into the second-half. changed side were trailing 2-0 at the break Lucas Hernandez was controversially adjudged to have felled after an insipid first-half display but a brace Lolo Pla inside the area despite appearing to play the ball, and from Andre Ayew and a third from Angelo LONDON: West Ham United’s Italian defender Angelo Ogbonna (L) and West Ham Pla stepped up to send Miguel Angel Moya the wrong way from Ogbonna shocked the Wembley crowd and United’s Declan Rice celebrate after the match between Tottenham Hotspur and the penalty spot. Vietto pulled another golden chance wide and completed an astonishing comeback for the West Ham United at Wembley Stadium. — AFP Fernando Torres, on the night he equalled Luis Aragones’s record Premier League strugglers. of 368 appearances for the club, fired off target as Atletico failed Spurs, who also made multiple But the game came alive within 10 min- with 20 minutes to go. “We could not wait to win away from home for the fifth time in the last seven matches. changes, were quickly in control through utes of the re-start when Ayew pounced for the game to start and I would hope the “We had three one-on-ones with the goalkeeper,” Atletico an early goal from Moussa Sissoko, who to poke home from close range after Brighton game was a one-off,” said Bilic. midfielder Saul Niguez told BeIN Sports. “It is the same thing as strolled through the middle of the de- Spurs keeper Michel Vorm failed to hold “We have composure, players back from always, our lack of efficiency in front of goal doesn’t give us the calm we need. We don’t score the goals and, in the end, we suffer.” fence and stroked the ball past West Ham a powerful Edimilson Fernandes shot from injury and this is the standard of play (we Ponferradina scored the upset of the night as a stunning Sergio goalkeeper Adrian after a pass from Son the edge of the area. West Ham, who expect).” “I said I am calm and glad when Cidoncha free-kick earned a 1-0 first leg lead over Villarreal. Heung-Min. They doubled their lead with crashed 3-0 to Brighton in the Premier we win in this way,” he added. “You see Athletic Bilbao’s poor form continued as they needed an about eight minutes remaining in the first League on Friday, were level just five min- the team is very alive and we are very equaliser from Raul Garcia to salvage a 1-1 draw at Balearic Is- half when Dele Alli curled the ball into the utes later when Ayew applied the finishing stubborn in a positive way. There is no landers Formentera. High-flying Leganes, who sit fifth in La Liga, net via a deflection off the unfortunate touch to a cross by Manuel Lanzini and time and place to go large now. We have carried that momentum into the Cup as Claudio Beauvue struck Declan Rice, again following good work astonishingly took the lead when Og- done a lot, but considering the season, we two minutes from time to win 2-1 at Valladolid. —AFP down the left from the impressive Son. bonna rose to head home Lanzini’s corner have done nothing.” —AFP.