SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 2014 SPORTS Schalke’s nightmare start continues Bellarabi scores in ninth second BERLIN: Schalke 04’s poor start to the German season twice on his Hertha Berlin debut but the home side continued as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at Hanover yes- were held to a 2-2 draw against Werder Bremen. terday as Bayer Leverkusen’s Karim Bellarabi hit the Former Borussia Dortmund forward Schieber Bundesliga’s fastest ever goal after nine seconds. headed home a cross from another new signing, Schalke were dumped out of the German Cup by third Dutch winger Roy Beerens, to give Hertha the lead division Dynamo Dresden on Monday but Klaas Jan- after 16 minutes. Hertha continued to create chances Huntelaar’s goal looked set to give them victory on and deservedly doubled their lead when a cross the opening weekend of the Bundesliga. Last season deflected into Schieber’s path on 47 minutes. Assani the Dutch striker’s 12 goals helped Schalke finish third Lukimya gave the visitors hope at the other end when and he opened his account for the new campaign 90 he bundled home from a free-kick on 53 minutes and seconds into the second half. But the home side lev- two minutes later Franco di Santo hauled Werder lev- elled 20 minutes later, when Leonardo Bittencourt el. Hoffenheim also scored two goals in three minutes surged down the right and picked out Edgar Prib. as they beat Augsburg 2-0. The home team took the Two minutes later Hanover got what proved the lead after 33 minutes after a scramble ensued when winning goal. Summer signing Joselu tried his luck Augsburg goalkeeper Marvin Hitz failed to hold from outside the box and the former Hoffenheim Roberto Firmino’s cross shot. striker’s shot took a slight deflection before nestling in The ball eventually fell to Hungarian striker Adam the corner. “I’m extremely angry,” said Schalke 04 boss Szalai, who had a simple finish for his first goal since Jens Keller. “Until the 67th minute, our plan worked. moving from Schalke in the summer. Two minutes lat- “It’s incredibly annoying when you’re in control of a er, Firmino was again involved as Hoffenheim moved game and you lose it through two counter attacks.” further clear. Meanwhile, Leverkusen midfielder Ballarabi made his- The Brazilian squared for Norway’s Tarik tory with a nine-second goal in the late game against Elyounousssi to score as Augsburg, who lost to fourth HANOVER: Schalke’s defender Kaan Ayhan (left) and Hanover’s Chilean defender Mikko Albornoz vie Borussia Dortmund. The strike was two seconds tier Magdeburg in the German Cup, slumped to for the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match Hanover 96 v FC Schalke 04, quicker than the previous record held by Bayern another defeat. Meanwhile chances were few and far at HDI-Arena in Hanover, Germany yesterday. Hanover won 2-1. — AFP Munich’s Giovanni Elber wh scored in the 11th second between as newly-promoted Cologne were held to a against Hamburg on January 31, 1998. ball after spending 14 years at Werder Bremen and an euro summer signing from Real Sociedad slotted scoreless draw at home by big-spending Hamburg. Elsewhere, Thomas Schaaf enjoyed his return to early strike from Haris Seferovic gave him plenty to home the only goal. “We can play a lot better,” Schaaf On Friday, goals from Thomas Mueller and Arjen the Bundesliga as his Eintracht Frankfurt side beat vis- smile about. After 15 minutes, the ball broke kindly said. “But I won’t complain. This team work, have fun Robben helped defending champions Bayern Munich iting Freiburg 1-0. Schaaf had taken a year out of foot- for the Swiss striker inside the box and the 3.2 million and want to prove themselves.” Julian Schieber scored open with a 2-1 home win over VfL Wolfsburg. —AFP Zarate’s goal worsens Crystal Palace misery pair worked together at Cardiff. The fall-out from that scandal also led Moody to quit as Palace 1 Palace’s sporting director in midweek and the end of what Parish described as a “diffi- cult week” was just as traumatic. Former Tottenham manager Tim West Ham 3 Sherwood pulled out of the running for the Palace job after initially being deemed sec- ond choice to Mackay, leaving caretaker boss Keith Millen to take charge for the sec- LONDON: Mauro Zarate hit a superb debut ond week running. Millen saw former Lazio goal as West Ham’s 3-1 victory added to the striker Zarate cap a lively debut with an problems of managerless Crystal Palace exquisite strike to open the scoring in the yesterday. Argentine forward Zarate joined 34th minute. Hammers boss Allardyce has the Hammers from Velez Sarsfield in pre- only clung onto his job after promising to season and he marked his maiden appear- play more expansive, attacking football ance in the Premier League with a cool fin- and this enterprising display was a step in ish in the first half at Selhurst Park. Stewart the right direction. Downing claimed just Downing netted a fine second for the his second West Ham goal three minutes Hammers moments later before Marouane Chamakh reduced the deficit early in the later as Palace paid the price for backing off second half. Carlton Cole’s goal sealed West in midfield. Ham’s first win of the season following their He raced down the right, cut off his flank last-gasp loss to Tottenham last weekend and nudged a side-footed effort past goal- and eased the pressure on boss Sam keeper Julian Speroni. James Tomkins Allardyce. headed against the crossbar to open the Palace’s second successive defeat second half as West Ham sought to finish plunged the south London club into fur- off the contest. Palace immediately seized ther turmoil, with co-owner Steve Parish on the reprieve, former Arsenal forward SWANSEA: Burnley’s English goalkeeper Tom Heaton (left) makes a save from Swansea City’s French striker Bafetimbi Gomis (right) during the still hunting a replacement for boss Tony Chamakh firing in a low shot from 20 yards English Premier League football match between Swansea City and Burnley yesterday. — AFP Pulis, who quit on the eve of the new sea- to half the deficit in the 48th minute. But son after a row over transfer policy. Parish Cole, so profligate against Tottenham, thought he had lined up Pulis’s successor pounced on a loose ball in the Palace area Swansea maintain winning earlier this week when he offered the job to to lash past Speroni and kill the contest in Malky Mackay. But he had to rescind that the 62nd minute. Parish must now act offer following the newspaper revelations swiftly to secure a new managerial about inappropriate text messages sent appointment, with Palace battling to get start as Dyer sinks Burnley between Mackay and Iain Moody when the their season back on track. — AFP remain without a point despite a battling display past the goalkeeper’s weak attempted save at that saw Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski his near post. Swansea 1 produce an excellent second half stop to deny Bony had another chance straight after the David Jones and preserve the win. The Swans restart when Dean Marney’s headed back pass were unchanged following their shock victory at fell into his path but he horribly miskicked as he Old Trafford, with midweek signings Federico bore down on goal. Danny Ings’ drive was Burnley 0 Fernandez and Tom Carroll not included in deflected wide as the Clarets came into the Monk’s squad. game more in the second half. And Burnley They went close to taking a third-minute lead should have been level when Marney’s 64th SWANSEA: Swansea winger Nathan Dyer when Wayne Routledge’s cross found Wilfried minute cross picked out the unmarked Lukasz bagged the winner as his side maintained their Bony 12 yards out. The Ivory Coast striker’s head- Jutkiewicz but the former Middlesbrough for- 100 percent start to the season with a 1-0 victory er seemed destined for the far corner of the net ward headed over. Monk had seen enough and over Burnley yesterday. Garry Monk’s team had but Burnley defender Jason Shackell intervened sent on Bafetimbi Gomis and Jefferson Montero enjoyed a shock win against Manchester United to clear the danger. Routledge then sped past for Bony and Dyer, but Burnley were within inch- on the opening day of the new Premier League Kieran Trippier to deliver the perfect ball for Gylfi es of equalizing when Ings found Jones and his campaign and Dyer’s first half strike was enough Sigurdsson, yet the Icelandic midfielder’s shot shot was saved by Fabianski. Swansea nearly to claim another three points in a hard-fought lacked power and Burnley goalkeeper Tom landed the killer second goal when South Korea clash at the Liberty Stadium. Burnley had been Heaton held on. But Heaton was beaten in the midfielder Ki Sung-yeung’s rising drive just beaten by Chelsea in their first game back in the 23rd minute as Ben Mee failed to intercept cleared the crossbar, but the hosts had already top-flight on Monday and Sean Dyche’s side Sigurdsson’s ball and Dyer advanced to shoot done enough.— AFP Van Persie’s return boosts Man United MANCHESTER: Robin van Persie’s return to the patience in the wake of the shock defeat by League is a very difficult game, You have to win and Manchester United line-up gives new manager Swansea.