MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2018 15 English Premier League Cardiff City 1 2 Burnley Messi and co ‘angry’ Scottish Premiership Livingston 1 0 Rangers Italian Serie A after Barcelona slip up Bologna 2 1 Udinese Chievo 0 1 Torino Reuters | Barcelona Fiorentina 2 0 Atalanta arcelona captain Lionel Frosinone 1 2 Genoa Messi says the La Liga Parma 1 0 Empoli Bchampions are “angry” Sassuolo v. Milan(19:30 GMT) about dropping seven points in their last three league games after he came off the bench to German Bundesliga help his side scrape a 1-1 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt 4 1 Hannover 96 home to Athletic Bilbao. FC Augsburg 4 1 SC Freiburg Messi was a surprise absentee from the starting line-up, along with Sergio Busquets, but he Spanish La Liga and the Spain midfielder were Huesca 1 1 Girona both called into action in the second half after Oscar de Mar- Villarreal 0 0 Real Valladolid cos had put the visitors ahead. Levante 2 1 Alaves The Argentinian hit the Real Betis v. Leganes (19:45 GMT) woodwork for the seventh time this season as Barca desperately chased an equaliser following French Ligue 1 their 2-1 defeat at lowly Leganes Rennes 1 1 Toulouse and 2-2 draw with Girona, even- Montpellier 3 0 Nimis tually providing the cross for Munir El Haddadi’s 84th-min- Lille v. Marseille (20:00 GMT) ute leveller. “We are not anxious because *Scores as of closing the season is long and has only Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is shown a yellow card by referee Santiago Latre during the match against Athletic Bilbao just started, but we are angry about the last results,” Messi told reporters. “We didn’t ex- departed Andres Iniesta this but we can’t rely on Leo to al- pect them. season. ways sort everything out for us,” “Against Leganes we played “Last year we hardly con - Suarez said. well in the first half and lost, and Last year we hardly ceded goals but now teams are “The other players here are today we created chances to win conceded goals scoring against us with their here on our own merits and but couldn’t.” first attempt. We cannot afford we can’t depend on him or De Marcos’s volley was the but now teams are to concede goals in every game. Busquets, we should have been eighth goal the La Liga cham- scoring against “We have to improve and be- winning when they came on to pions have conceded in seven us with their first come stronger in defence, which the pitch.” games this season and Messi attempt. We cannot is the most important thing.” The Argentinian, asked about said his side urgently needed to afford to concede Messi’s strike partner, Luis Suarez’s comments, said he improve in defence. goals in every game Suarez, also criticised the team’s agreed with his teammate. “We are aware that we have display and said they needed to “We have the squad and the to be much stronger defensive- LIONEL MESSI rid themselves of their depend- players to be a great team and ly,” added Messi, who inherited ence on their all-time top scorer. not depend on anyone, like it the Barca captaincy from the “He is the best in the world always used to be,” Messi added. Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge celebrates after the match with Naby Keita Injured Bale misses Klopp salutes Sturridge Rooney scores twice for United, Champions League stunner for Liverpool trip to Moscow Reuters | London who has been at the club since Dallas clinches playoff spot AFP | Madrid 2015, but never been able to aniel Sturridge has had rely on a fully-fit Sturridge for AFP | Los Angeles areth Bale has been left Dlittle to celebrate over sev- any sustained period of time. Gout of Real Madrid’s eral injury blighted seasons at “He is a fantastic football ormer England captain squad to face CSKA Moscow Liverpool, but with one deft player and he had a good FWayne Rooney scored two in the Champions League swipe of his left boot on Sat- pre-season, and he is in the goals and had an assist as D.C. on Tuesday. urday he rescued a last-gasp best shape since I know him,” United gave their playoff push Bale picked up a thigh point at Chelsea and reminded Klopp told reporters. a boost with a 5-0 rout of the injury during the goalless his manager of his rare finish- “It is really cool and I am Montreal Impact on Saturday. draw with Atletico Madrid ing prowess. really happy for him, he works Luciano Acosta finished with on Saturday and had to Liverpool had been the bet- hard and he is a classic good a goal and three assists and Paul come off at half-time. ter side for great swathes of lad. When he came into the Arriola added two goals for He will miss the reign - the Premier League encounter dressing room... it was really United who moved a step clos- ing European champions’ at Stamford Bridge, but a com- loud and the boys are all really er to the sixth and final Eastern Group G game in Russia, bination of poor finishing and happy for him because he real- Conference playoff spot. along with captain Ser - resilient Chelsea defending ly is in a good moment.” United are now in firm con- gio Ramos, who was also meant they entered the dying Sturridge’s ability has never trol of their destiny after com- omitted from the squad an- minutes trailing 1-0 to Eden been in doubt at Liverpool, ing into the game five points be- nounced yesterday. Hazard’s superb finish. but his body has all too often hind Montreal with two games Ramos sustained a cut Liverpool’s front three, who let him down, with a series of in hand. above his eye against At - terrorised defences last sea- injuries interrupting his pro- “I think the last few weeks letico but, despite briefly son, had looked uncharacter- gress over the last four sea - we’ve been building momen- leaving the field for treat- istically out of sorts before sons. tum at the right time,” Rooney ment, was able to complete Sturridge was introduced as His goals and performanc- said. “We’ve put ourselves in a the match. an 86th-minute substitute. es this season, however, have great position and we knew we Wayne Rooney gave DC United a playoff push with two goals against the Madrid coach Julen Lo- It took him a matter of mo- raised hopes — that have all didn’t want to let all the hard Montreal Impact in a 5-0 rout petegui said after the game ments to make his mark, re- too often been dashed in the work slip tonight.” Bale had been replaced as a ceiving the ball on the left, 25 past — that he may be back to The Impact now have to win before crashing into the back of attacking players score goals. “precaution” at the Santiago metres from goal before turn- his best. their final three games to hold the Montreal goal. “It gives you confidence and Bernabeu and the Welsh- ing and nonchalantly curling a Saturday’s strike was Stur- on to their postseason berth. The United players mobbed when you do that on a regular man would be assessed on superb effort out of the keep- ridge’s fourth goal in seven Rooney got his first goal in Arriola and celebrated inside basis, you finish teams off.” Sunday. The club will be er’s reach into the top corner appearances across all com- the 48th minute on a nifty move the goal while the Impact net- Elsewhere, Swedish star hoping the damage is not se- to secure a 1-1 draw and deflate petitions this season, yet only while going one-on-one with an minder Evan Bush dejectedly Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored two rious, with a crunch match his former club. two of those have been in the Impact defender to make it 2-0 looked the other way. goals to increase his season against Barcelona in La Liga It was his 50th Premier starting team with the majori- in front of 20,500 fans at Audi Rooney capped the scoring in total to 20 as the Los Angeles approaching on October 28. League goal for Liverpool and ty coming off the bench. Field in Washington. the 81st minute with an empty Galaxy shut out the Vancouver Marcelo and Isco were kept them unbeaten in the The 29-year-old’s razor Arriola scored again to make netter from 40 yards out. Whitecaps 3-0. also absentees from Ma - league this season, level with sharp finish rescued Liverpool it 3-0 at the 61 minute mark on “It’s obviously great to score The 36-year-old Ibrahimovic drid’s squad to face CSKA. Manchester City on 19 points after their established front a dynamic passing play. five goals,” he said. “It’s very extended his scoring streak to Marcelo has a calf problem at the top of the table. three, Mohamed Salah, Rob- Rooney made a no-look pass important because it gives us three games and now has five while Isco is recovering The quality of the strike also erto Firmino and Sadio Mane, to Acosta who slid the ball over more confidence and especial- goals in the past five games in from an appendix opera- drew appreciative words from were unusually profligate in to Arriola, who got a foot on it ly it’s great to have so many his first MLS season.