SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2014 SPORTS

Preview Pochettino aims to revive EPL campaign

LONDON: Mauricio Pochettino will six games, in a run Tottenham centre-back Federico Walker has yet to recover from a pelvic available? Then there’s Papiss and demand his Tottenham Hotspur side stretching back to August, and their fail- Fazio will be missing after being sent off problem. Newcastle had lost on four Cheick Tiote. forget about Erik Lamela’s stunning ure to build on a positive start to the in last weekend’s 4-1 defeat by successive visits to “I’m not going to be clear on any of Europa League goal and attempt to season has left them in ninth position Manchester City. before last season’s victory, a win them until tomorrow (Saturday).” revive their Premier League campaign going into the latest round of matches. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris also collect- inspired by a superb performance from Defender Mike Williamson is also a when Newcastle United visit White Hart Newcastle, who’ve won just once in ed a red card when he was dismissed their Dutch keeper . doubt, and Rolando Aarons, the Lane today. Lamela’s ‘rabona’ strike was the English top-flight this term, albeit against Asteras, prompting Pochettino But this weekend Newcastle manag- England youth , remains side- quickly installed as a strong favourite to last time out against Leicester are lan- to criticise his side’s failure to close out er Pardew must contend with several lined with a hamstring injury while be goal of the season-but Pochettino guishing in the bottom three but the game without late drama and devel- injury issues as he looks to guide the Dutch international Siem de Jong and showed no emotion as the ball hit the Tottenham captain Younes Kaboul op the good habits that will prove cru- Magpies to back-to-back wins for the Italian full-back Davide Santon are back of the net and indeed appeared warned his side nothing could be taken cial at other stages in the campaign. first time in almost eight months. longer-term absentees. However, Ryan more concerned by Spurs’ defensive for granted against ’s men. Lloris’s suspension will be restricted Papiss Cisse has joined the casualty Taylor’s return to the squad for the first frailties as they secured a comfortable 5- “You have to take all the games at to European competition but manager list after failing to train all week due to a time since late 2012, after the former 1 win over Asteras Tripoli. 100 percent and you always need to Pochettino said: “At 5-0, we need to knee problem not believed to be linked Wigan utility man battled back from A hat-trick for young striker Harry have a winning mentality,” central manage the game better and not give with the broken kneecap suffered earli- two career-threatening knee injuries, Kane added to the feel-good factor at defender Kaboul said. “Newcastle are the possibility to the opponent to arrive er this year by the Senegal forward. has provided a much-needed boost to the north London club but Pochettino coming here having just got their heads one against one with our goalkeeper. “We’re sweating a little bit on a few Newcastle’s bid to climb out of the rele- knows the upbeat mood created by above water with an important win last For that, I’m not satisfied.” of them,” Pardew said. “We’ve not got gation zone. “It’s an inspirational story Thursday’s result will disappear if they weekend and now they will feel confi- Nabil Bentaleb and Kyle Naughton what you’d call a crisis, but there’s one and it’s such a pleasure to put Ryan’s don’t beat strugglers Newcastle. dent ahead of facing us, but we have to will be missing from the Spurs squad or two we’re waiting for including name down on the travelling party.” Spurs have won just one of their last win and take the three points.” because of ankle injuries while Kyle Emmanuel Riviere, is he going to be Pardew said. —AFP Dortmund slip further after fourth defeat

BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund’s horror run of referee’s assistant needed glasses. results continued yesterday as failed to pick up his they lost 1-0 at home to Hanover 96 to third straight win as Schalke 04 coach yes- drop to 15th after a fourth straight defeat. terday as the Royal Blues lost 1-0 at ten- Dortmund’s terrible domestic form is in man Bayer Leverkusen in the battle stark contrast to their Champions League between two of Germany’s Champions campaign, where they top their group with League sides. three straight wins after Wednesday’s Turkey midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu impressive 4-0 victory at Galatasaray. settled the matter with a superbly-struck But seven days before they face free-kick on 53 minutes. Leverkusen fin- Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich away, ished with ten men after 18-year-old Dortmund are now winless in their last six Croatia international defender Tin Jedvaj league games and just a point above the was dismissed for a dangerous tackle. relegation zone. “We wanted to offer more in attack than “We have to keep going-and ensure that we did today,” said Di Matteo with his side we no longer feel like this after games,” 12th in the table while Leverkusen are up insisted Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp. to fourth. “We turned all the screws and still we’re left “We didn’t do so badly in defence, but empty-handed. That’s tough. we can improve on attack and in our build- “We can’t do more, but we can do things up play.” better. We aren’t in a good situation in the With league leaders Bayern at Borussia Bundesliga and that’s something we Moenchengladbach on Sunday in the haven’t come to terms with until now. weekend’s top fixture, Hoffenheim took “We’ll continue to fight, the opponent Gladbach’s place in second with a 1-0 win made a lot out of little, we made nothing at Paderborn. out of a lot.” Winger Kevin Volland pushed his claim Klopp was left fuming on the sidelines for a place in the Germany squad for next at their Westfalenstadion as Japan’s Hiroshi month’s internationals with his first goal of Kiyotake curled in a free kick to score the season. Hanover’s first goal for 416 minutes follow- Augsburg moved up to ninth with a 2-0 ing three straight defeats. win at home to Freiburg with Dutch Mid-table Hanover finished with 10 men defender Paul Verhaegh converting a after Turkey midfielder Ceyhun Guelselam penalty before Turkey’s Halil Altintop earned a red card for his second booking added a second goal. after a clumsy challenge on Dortmund VfL Wolfsburg host Mainz on Sunday winger Marco Reus on 89 minutes. Hertha afternoon with both teams on the verge of claimed a 3-0 home win against a top three place. : Parma’s Felipe (right) vies for the ball with Sassuolo’s Domenico Berardi, during their soccer match at Parma’s Tardini stadi- Hamburg with Tunisia’s Anis Ben-Hatira Bottom side Werder Bremen sacked um. —AP netting twice as Hamburg remain in the coach Robin Dutt on Saturday, less than 24 bottom three. hours after his side’s 1-0 defeat at home to VfB Stuttgart leap-frogged Dortmund Cologne left them winless after nine into 14th place after their stunning 5-4 vic- games. Sassuolo stun Parma, tory at . Stuttgart cap- The 49-year-old is the third Bundesliga tain Christian Gentner scored the 84th- coach sacked this season after Mirko minute winner when he stabbed the ball Slomka (from Hamburg) and home at close-range from a free-kick to (Schalke 04). Bremen’s Under-23 coach Cagliari rout Empoli claim only their second win of the season. Viktor Skripnik has been appointed as care- Frankfurt finished with 10 men after taker coach, with ex-Germany midfielder MILAN: Rock bottom Parma’s season went Reports from Italy said former Livorno Swiss striker Haris Seferovic was sent off Torsten Frings during the search for Dutt’s from bad to worse with a 3-1 home defeat to coach Davide Nicola, whose side lost to five minutes from time for miming that the successor.—AFP fellow strugglers Sassuolo as Cagliari moved Parma on the final day of last season, is Matches on TV up four places with a 4-0 rout of promoted being lined up to replace Donadoni. (Local Timings) Empoli yesterday. Earlier, Cagliari’s resurgence continued Parma went in for the half-time break 2-0 with a 4-0 rout of Empoli that gave Zdenek English Premier League down after Sergio Floccari and Francesco Zeman’s men only their second win of the Tottenham v Newcastle 16:30 Acerbi made the most of shabby defending season and moved them up to 13th and two beIN SPORTS 1 HD by the hosts to beat from points clear of the relegation zone. beIN SPORTS 11 HD close range. Striker Marco Sau held off his marker to Burnley v Everton 16:30 Algerian Saphir Taider had hit the post curl the ball past Davide Bassi from the edge beIN SPORTS 8 HD with a free kick minutes before the interval of the box on the half hour for his fourth goal Man United v Chelsea 19:00 beIN SPORTS 1 HD and gave Sassuolo a 3-0 lead seven minutes of the season. beIN SPORTS 11 HD after the restart when he fired a screamer Brazilian Danilo Avelar doubled Cagliari’s Spanish League into the top corner after a poor Parma clear- lead five minutes later when his free kick Malaga v Rayo Vallecano 14:00 ance. came off the underside of the bar to leave beIN SPORTS 2 HD Although Antonio Cassano scored a late Bassi with no chance. Avelar grabbed his sec- Espanyol v Deportivo 19:00 consolation for the hosts, Roberto ond, and Cagliari’s third from the spot two beIN SPORTS 7 HD Sevilla v Villarreal 21:00 Donadoni’s side suffered a seventh defeat in minutes later after Albin Ekdal was felled by beIN SPORTS 2 HD eight games as their local rivals from Emilia Mirko Valdifiori in the area. Getafe v Atletico 23:00 grabbed their first win of the season. Ekdal, who hit a hat-trick in a 4-1 win beIN SPORTS 2 HD Asked if something had been ‘broken’ at against Inter at the San Siro last month, Italian Calcio League Parma, Donadoni told Sky Sport: “That’s obvi- secured the points for the visitors on the Udinese Calcio v Atalanta 17:00 ous, we’ve lost seven times in eight games so stroke of half-time when he powered beIN SPORTS 2 HD beIN SPORTS 2 HD FR there’s not a lot to smile about.”We can do lit- through the Empoli defence to squeeze an beIN SPORTS 2 FR tle more but work hard and hope to get out angled shot past Bassi. Juventus v Citta di 17:00 of this rut somehow.” “We played our game the way we wanted beIN SPORTS 3 HD Donadoni has so far been given the back- to, keeping the defence high, and we pulled Cesena v Internazionale 20:00 ing of club owner Tomasso Ghirardi, who last it off especially in the first half,” said Zeman, beIN SPORTS 3 HD SS Lazio v Torino FC 20:00 week denied there had been threatening who gave special tribute to Avelar. beIN SPORTS 8 HD behaviour during an unscheduled meeting “Avelar was solid at the back and has two SSC Napoli v Hellas Verona 20:00 between players and ultras supporters fol- good feet too, as we saw with his free kick.” beIN SPORTS 10 wHD lowing the defeat to Atalanta. Sampdoria are looking to defend their AC Milan v ACF Fiorentina 22:45 But it has been a torrid start of the cam- unbeaten start to the league later yesterday beIN SPORTS 3 HD paign for Donadoni’s side who were denied a when they host a Roma side still smarting beIN SPORTS 1 HD FR beIN SPORTS 1 FR place in this season’s Europa League by the from a crushing 7-1 Champions League French League Italian Football Federation (FIGC) because defeat to Bayern Munich. Roma sit second, Lyonnais v Marseille 23:00 the club had not paid taxes amounting to just a point behind leaders Juventus who beIN SPORTS 5 HD approximately 300,000 euros. host struggling Palermo today. —AFP Friends reunited as Mourinho, van Gaal clash MANCHESTER: Jose Mourinho and Louis van 17 years to the day their paths first crossed at strong, with Mourinho paying tribute to his Gaal insist their friendship will survive whatev- Barcelona. mentor when asked about van Gaal’s influence er happens when Chelsea look to cement their Mourinho, then labouring in anonymity as a on him. position on top of the Premier League with a translator and assistant to Barcelona manager “As a young coach to be working with Louis statement victory at Manchester United today. , was kept on by van Gaal when at a club like Barcelona was very important,” Mourinho has never hidden his distain for he took over at the Nou Camp and earned the Mourinho said. “Everybody knows the respect I some of his managerial rivals, with Arsenal’s trust of his new boss to such an extent that he have for him. I never hide the respect, the rela- Arsene Wenger and Aston Villa’s was allowed to take training sessions and give tionship and the fact he was an important crossing swords with the Chelsea boss already team-talks. influence in my career. “He knows what I feel this season, and the prospect of a crucial clash Van Gaal saw a kindred spirit in Mourinho, about him. The world knows, because I never with a team capable of ending his side’s who like the Dutchman is an obsessive worka- hide. What can I add?” unbeaten start would usually bring out the holic who had trained as a PE teacher, and the Van Gaal continued the mutual appreciation antagonist in the Portuguese coach. two men lived only 15 metres from each other society, jumping to Mourinho’s defence when Yet there should be a refreshing lack of ani- in an apartment block, often meeting around quizzed about his spikey personality and pen- mosity on the sidelines at Old Trafford this their dining tables to talk football. chant for acerbic outbursts. weekend, however heated the action becomes The partnership lasted until Mourinho left “He’s such a wonderful coach and to see GERMANY: Dortmund’s Lukasz Piszczek (left) vies for the ball with Hannover’s Leonardo on the pitch, because Mourinho and United to start his managerial career with Benfica in that he’s been a champion in different coun- Bittencourt during the German First Division Bundesliga football match. —AFP manager van Gaal have a bond that dates back 2000 and the ties between the pair remain tries is fantastic,” van Gaal said.—AFP