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Home , Adrien Rabiot, Artem Dzyuba, Lucas Moura, Marco Verratti, Oleg Shatov, Thiago Motta

Oman stun Ireland No Europa League at World Twenty20 shame for Van Gaal

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016 17 19

Sharapova drug prevalent in tennis: Ex WADA chief Page 16

LONDON: Saint-Germain’s Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic (R) takes a shot but fails to score during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg football match between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Stamford Bridge in London yesterday. — AFP Ibrahimovic leaves Chelsea KO again

LONDON: Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored one and created Everton were jeopardised by injuries to Costa and Eden Ivanovic had to slide a shot from Di Maria off the line Ibrahimovic put a header straight at another as Paris Saint-Germain won 2-1 at Stamford Hazard. Much of the pre-game attention had focused after he had been played in by Lucas. from a Lucas cross, but the hosts finished the half with Bridge yesterday to eliminate Chelsea from the on Costa and Ibrahimovic, and it was PSG’s Swedish tal- the wind in their sails, Cesc Fabregas, Hazard and Costa Champions League for the second season running. isman who emerged triumphant as the French champi- MOTTA CARELESS all going close to levelling the tie. Costa had another Leading 2-1 from the first leg of the last 16 tie, PSG ons claimed further revenge for their elimination by Ten minutes later PSG tightened their grip on the tie sight of early in the second half, blocking stretched their lead when Ibrahimovic crossed for Chelsea in 2014. Sent off at Stamford Bridge a year ago, as Di Maria played a pass behind the Chelsea defence his shot from Willian’s cut-back, but the Spain interna- Adrien Rabiot to tap in and although ’s slick when PSG’s 2-2 draw took them through on away goals, for Ibrahimovic, whose masterful low cross was turned tional, who had been a constant menace, had to go off finish gave Chelsea hope, Ibrahimovic volleyed home in he belied doubts about his big-game temperament to in by Rabiot. on the hour after appearing to hurt his calf, with the 67th minute to complete a 4-2 aggregate success. keep the runaway leaders on course for a poten- Leading 3-1 on aggregate, it should have been the Bertrand Traore replacing him. Guus Hiddink’s side came Victory took ’s PSG into the quarter- tial quadruple. cue for PSG to take the sting out of the game, but close to making light of Costa’s departure, but Trapp pro- finals for the fourth year in a row, while Chelsea were ’s failure to recover from a groin injury instead they allowed Chelsea to level on the night with duced a sharp double-save to thwart Willian and then left to contemplate a first season without Champions meant that Rabiot started in midfield for PSG and he a goal that owed equally to ’s carelessness Hazard, and within two minutes the tie was over. League football since 2002-03. almost cost his side an early goal with a loose pass that in possession and the hosts’ dazzling interplay. Motta’s astute pass to the left found Di Maria in acres Ten points off the top four in the , culminated in Kevin Trapp parrying from Costa. But After Pedro Rodriguez nipped in to rob Motta, Willian of space and his fine cross was volleyed in emphatically Chelsea’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League with Angel di Maria and abandoning their played a quick one-two with the Spaniard before feed- by Ibrahimovic. Chelsea’s mood darkened yet further via the league are paper-thin and their chances of wings at will, PSG’s attack bristled with menace and in ing Costa, who expertly turned Thiago and drilled with 14 minutes remaining when Hazard limped off, but bouncing back in Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final at the sixth minute stand-in Chelsea captain Branislav home left-footed. the hosts’ fire had already burnt itself out. — AFP Australia power Benfica stun Zenit to reach to series victory Champions League quarters : Nicolas Gaitan and for Zenit early on, but Renato Sanches CAPE TOWN: Australia gained a confidence boost ahead of the scored late goals as Benfica came came close at the other end in a fairly World Twenty20 with an impressive run chase to defeat South Africa from behind to beat Zenit Saint even first period. by six wickets in the third and final Twenty20 international at Petersburg 2-1 in Russia yesterday and Zenit needed a goal from somewhere Newlands yesterday. march on to the Champions League but they became a much greater threat Needing to achieve the highest successful chase at Newlands after quarter-finals 3-1 on aggregate. following the introductions of Igor Hashim Amla’s 97 not out inspired South Africa to 178 for four, Trailing 1-0 from last month’s first leg, Smolnikov and just before Australia achieved victory with four balls to spare, clinching the Zenit levelled the tie when opened the hour mark. three-match series 2-1. Usman Khawaja (33) and Shane Watson (42) the scoring on the night in the 69th Smolnikov should have scored from a gave Australia a strong start, putting on 76 for the first wicket in 8.2 minute and extra time was looming Hulk cross moments after coming off the overs. when Gaitan stunned the Petrovsky bench, but Ederson made a crucial save Stadium by netting at the other end five low down. Dzyuba then should have Both fell to leg-spinner Imran Tahir in the space of three balls, but minutes from the end. netted after being set up by Shatov, but captain Steve Smith and David Warner made virtually sure of victory Substitute Talisca wrapped up the vic- Benfica’s resistance was broken as Zenit with a third-wicket stand of 79. tory with the last kick of the game as the got the breakthrough on the night just Smith made 44 and Warner hit 33. Warner was run out and Smith Portuguese league leaders progressed to past the midway point in the second half. was caught behind, but Glenn Maxwell made 19 not out off ten balls the last eight of the Champions League One-time Chelsea full-back before Mitchell Marsh hit the only ball he faced for four to finish the for the first time since 2012, when they crashed into Nelson Semedo on the left match. It was the last match for both teams before they leave for the also eliminated Zenit at this stage. flank, leaving the Benfica player on the World Twenty20 in India on Thursday. Benfica travelled to Russia with the ground. The Hungarian referee let play Amla hit eight fours and four sixes in a 62-ball innings as South edge in the tie thanks to a solitary late go on as Zhirkov advanced into the area Africa posted a challenging total. It was the highest score by a South strike by Jonas in the first leg last month before lifting the ball into the six-yard African in a Twenty20 international against Australia and the highest but Zenit will rue a host of missed box for Brazil star Hulk to head home. individual score at Newlands. chances in the second half at the That left the prospect of extra time, Amla and Quinton de Kock got South Africa off to a fast start, put- Petrovsky Stadium as their dream of although produced a ting on 47 for the first wicket before De Kock was caught at third man reaching the Champions League last superb save to keep out a header by off Nathan Coulter-Nile for 25 off 13 balls. eight for the first time died in the chill of Benfica’s Swedish defender Victor The six-over power play yielded 68 runs but the scoring rate Saint Petersburg. Lindeloef while Ederson stood up well to slowed when the fielding restrictions were lifted, with leg-spinner Zenit’s Portuguese coach Andre Villas- deny Dzyuba after the striker had pow- Adam Zampa conceding only 23 runs in a four-over spell. Boas, who will leave the club at the end ered into the box. Zampa should have had the wicket of Rilee Rossouw, with Maxwell of the season, has hurt Benfica in the Zenit looked the more likely side but putting down a straightforward catch on the midwicket boundary past when in charge of Porto and he Benfica got a decisive away goal from when the batsman had made three of his eventual 16 runs. would have been confident of turning nowhere in the 85th minute. Substitute South Africa chose to bat first on a ground where the average total this tie around against a diminished visit- Raul Jimenez crashed a shot off the for teams batting first in floodlit games was 154. Amla, making his ing side. woodwork from distance and, with first appearance in the series, replaced AB de Villiers in one of three The Portuguese league leaders were Lodygin taken out of the game, Gaitan changes in the South African team. without a host of key players due to followed in to score. Left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso was not included in the South injury and suspension, including tower- Talisca made it 2-1 on the night in African team despite having his bowling action cleared in an inde- CAPE TOWN: Australian batsman Shane Watson mishits a high ing centre-back Luisao, Jardel, Lisandro the sixth minute of stoppage time as pendent test, after failing a similar test ten days earlier. Coach Russell ball during the third and final T20 cricket match between South Lopez, Andre Almeida and goalkeeper Rui Vitoria’ side secured their place in Domingo said Phangiso needed more time to work on and gain confi- Africa and Australia at the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town yes- Julio Cesar. , scorer of six next week’s draw for the quarter- dence with the adjustments he had needed to make. — AFP terday. — AFP goals in the group stage, fired just wide finals. — AFP