Sports Tuesday, September 22, 2020 13 Sporting name academy hat-trick in Sharjah’s after ‘greatest ever’ six-goal show vs Al Taawoun product Ronaldo

AFC jah’s fourth. Doha The Emiratis’ clinical coun- ter-attacking display continued An emphatic second-half dis- Sharjah’s largest- as they made it four goals in play saw Sharjah cruise to a 12 minutes. Coronado sliced a 6-0 victory over Al Taawoun ever win in the cross from the corner into the FC to move above them into AFC Champions near post where Welliton was second place in Group C of the League means perfectly positioned to head 2020 AFC Champions League home for his hat-trick and Shar- on Monday. they can reach the jah’s fifth in the 61st minute. Sharjah got off to a flying Round of 16 for Caio Lucas added his name start and within six minutes they to the scoresheet in the 68th had handed goalkeeper Cassio the first time in minute after Coronado cut in- his first test of the night. Brazil- their history with a side and fired an effort that was ian forward Welliton broke free win against saved by Cassio, only for it to down the right and squared for fall into the path of Caio who his compatriot Igor Coronado Persepolis in their guided the header past his com- who applied a powerful low fin- last game. patriot and into the back of the AFP younger talents,” the 18-time ish, but the Al Taawoun goal- net to round off the scoring. Lisbon Portugese champions said in a keeper was up to the challenge Sharjah’s largest-ever win statement. and made the save. in the AFC Champions League Sporting announced on “The Academia Cristiano Halfway through the first Sharjah’s Brazilian forward Welliton scored in the 49th, 57th and 61st minutes to star in Sharjah’s 6-0 rout means they can reach the Monday they will re-name their Ronaldo will represent Sport- 45 minutes, Cassio repeated of Al Taawoun at the Education City Stadium on Monday night. Round of 16 for the first time in academy after former attacker ing’s DNA in its excellence his heroics in an almost-iden- their history with a win against and five-time Ballon d’Or win- and will follow the destinies tical manner. This time it was got on the end of a Coronado before breaking free and drib- pass behind the defence and Persepolis in their last game, ner Cristiano Ronaldo. of the one that now gives it Khalid Bawazir who was set free-kick and guided his head- bling past the last defender in the latter laid it back to Abdul- while Al Taawoun’s fate is now Ronaldo, who scored in its name: to be the best in the up by Welliton’s cross from er into the bottom corner with style and firing with his left basit who drilled it past Cassio out of their hands. The Saudis Juventus’ first Serie A game world,” they added. the right and the midfielder what was essentially the last into the roof of the net to dou- for Sharjah’s third of the night. need a win against Al Duhail of the season on Sunday, Ronaldo, 35, made his watched Al Taawoun’s Bra- attack of the half. ble Sharjah’s lead four min- Al Taawoun’s misery was and a draw between Sharjah joined the capital city side Sporting debut in 2002 before zilian goalkeeper make a fine Abdulaziz Al Anbari’s men utes after the restart. compounded just three min- and Persepolis to qualify. aged 12. playing for Manchester Unit- save to keep the scores level. started the second half as Substitute Mohammed Ab- utes later, after their goalkeep- Scoreline: Sharjah 6 (Saif “The Academy will thus ed, Real Madrid and Juve. Sharjah’s pressure finally strongly as they finished the dulbasit, who replaced Rashid, er failed to properly control a Rashid 45+1’, Welliton 49’, 57’, immortalise the name of the The Portugal captain has produced the opening goal of first. A swift counter-attacking made it 3-0 in the 54th min- back pass, allowing Welliton 61’; Mohammed Abdulbasit greatest symbol it ever pro- won the Champions League the night in added time of the move saw Welliton exchange ute. Coronado found Bawazir to snatch the ball and finish 54’, Caio Lucas Fernandes 68’) duced and that will be an in- five times as well as the Premier first half. Winger passes with Caio down the left inside the box with a sublime into the empty net for Shar- bt Al Taawoun 0. spiration to follow for all the League, and Serie A. Draw with Al Ain ends Sepahan’s hopes

AFC own goal less than 10 minutes Doha into the second half, when cap- tain Ismail Ahmed botched a Sepahan FC joined Al Ain clearance attempt and deflect- FC in elimination from Group ed the ball towards his goal, D of the 2020 AFC Champi- but keeper Khaled Eissa man- ons League after the two sides aged to stop it, before punch- played out a goalless draw at ing the ball away from an on- Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium rushing Sepahan attacker. on Monday. A chance fell for the record Sepahan had started their UAE Pro League champions campaign with a 4-0 defeat of when a move started by Ahmed Al Ain at the Hazza bin Zayed Barman was concluded when Juventus’ Italian coach Andrea Pirlo (right) congratulates Portuguese Stadium courtesy of Moham- Bauyrzhan Islamkhan played forward Cristiano Ronaldo as Sampdoria’s Italian coach Claudio Rani- med Mohebi, Kiros, Soroush teammate Laba in, and the lat- eri looks on at the end of their Italian Serie A match at the Juventus Rafiei and Mohammad Tayye- ter attempted a cross that was Stadium in Turin on Sunday. (AFP) bi but couldn’t find a way past deflected by Mohammed Me- their opponents at the second hdi into Niazmand’s arms. time of asking. Laba seemed to have opened Pirlo off to dream start Thirteen-time UAE cham- the scoring when he rose to meet pions Al Ain threatened early Islamkhan’s lofted free-kick into on, with Caio Canedo forcing a Sepahan FC joined Al Ain FC in elimination from Group D after their goalless draw in the 2020 AFC Cham- the area, but his headed effort as Juve open bid for save from keeper Payam Niaz- pions League match at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Monday. was ruled out for an offside deci- mand after careful build up that sion on teammate Caio. 10th straight title included striker Kodjo Laba. received the ball from team- Early on in the second born Emirati forward chipped The result leaves the Isfa- It took almost 40 minutes mate Mohammed Karimi and half, Tsukasa Shiotani played the ball onto Laba Kodjo, who han based side in third with AFP together for a week.” for Sepahan to get a first close fired from range, but his ball Canedo in with an intelligent headed wide off the mark. four points, one ahead of Al Milan Juventus handed debuts chance, when Rasool Navidkia was marginally high. through ball, and the Brazilian- Al Ain almost conceded an Ain who trail the group. to new signing Weston Mc- Andrea Pirlo got his coach- Kennie and Kulusevski, who ing career off to a winning joined from Atalanta in Janu- start as Juventus launched ary before immediately re- their bid for a 10th consecutive turning to Parma on loan. Konsa gives Villa winning start against 10-man Blades league title with a 3-0 win over Kulusevski curled in the Sampdoria on Sunday. first goal in a move started by AFP League Cup second round Ethan Ampadu and moved Swedish debutant Dejan Ronaldo, who hit the bar min- Birmingham last week, as they look to Chris Basham into midfield Kulusevski opened the scoring utes later. But it was not until avoid a repeat of last sea- and the switch earned Unit- after 13 minutes in Turin with the last quarter of an hour that Aston Villa kicked off their son’s relegation battle. ed their penalty in the 36th Leonardo Bonucci adding a the champions finally killed campaign After losing at home to minute. second on 78 minutes and off the game they dominated, with a 1-0 victory over 10-man Wolves last weekend, United Basham’s clever run onto Cristiano Ronaldo a late third. with Aaron Ramsey missing a Sheffield United on Monday as have now lost their last five Oliver Burke’s pass forced The match was played in chance for a fourth late. bagged the winner league games dating back to to concede the front of 1,000 spectators as Juventus next head to after Emiliano Martinez saved last season. spot-kick, but Martinez came Serie A stadiums reopened on Roma next week after the side a penalty for the hosts. Former Nottingham For- to his rescue as he dived to his Sunday to a limited number of from the capital were held to a United were a man down est right-back was right to keep out Lundstram’s fans after a seven-month coro- goalless draw in their opener early on after captain John given his Villa debut after his strike. navirus lockdown. on Saturday, before hosting Egan was sent off for a foul on close-season transfer and his Villa found it hard to make Pirlo could not have Napoli, 2-0 winners this week- . deep cross provided an early the numerical advantage hoped for a better start to his end against Parma. Villa keeper Martinez half-chance for John McGinn, count and their frustration coaching career having taken saved John Lundstram’s first who volleyed over from an was mounting when Watkins over from Maurizio Sarri this Osimhen inspires Napoli half penalty in his first appear- acute angle. missed the target from Cash’s summer. The win against Victor Osimhen proved deci- ance following his £17 million Watkins, another of Villa’s cross. Sampdoria, coached by vet- sive on his Serie A debut in- ($21 million) move from Arse- new boys, played a key role But Konsa finally broke the eran Claudio Ranieri, came spiring Napoli as they target nal last week. as United were reduced to 10 deadlock from a 63rd minute just days after the former Italy a return to Champions League Konsa sealed the points men in the 12th minute. corner when the defender met and Juventus star received his football having finished sev- in the second half with a ’ high long Mings’ flick-on with a header coaching diploma. enth last season. looping header, a well- ball sent Watkins racing that floated past Aaron Rams- “It will take time to put After a barren first hour earned reward for a commit- through on goal and Egan dale into the far corner. together the mode of play, in Emilia Romagna, Osimhen ted display after he played on responded by tugging him Seven of Villa’s last nine but I will not copy and paste,” came off the bench to provide despite appearing to injure back, with referee Graham league goals have now come warned the 41-year-old. an electric shock for Gennaro himself sprinting out for the Scott showing the defender a from set-pieces. “I will take inspiration Gattuso’s side. Dries Mertens second half. red card that was confirmed was close from teams that have im- and Lorenzo Insigne scored It was the perfect start by VAR. Aston Villa’s English defender Ezri Konsa celebrates scoring the open- to putting the result beyond pressed -- there was little time, both goals after his arrival for Dean Smith’s side, who Wilder introduced on- ing goal during the English Premier League match against Sheffield doubt when he curled just the lads returned from the na- which were set up by Mexican beat Burton Albion in the loan Chelsea defender United at in Birmingham, England, on Monday. (AFP) wide from the edge of the area. tional teams, we only worked Hirving Lozano.

Esperance win Tunisian a fifth time QNA penalty kicks after the origi- nents, Club African (CA) and mam-Lif 3-1 in 2001, and in nal time ended with a draw. Etoile Sportive du Sahel (ESS). the third time against CA Bi- EST succeeded in achieving Esperance Sports was zerte 2-1 last year. Esperance Sports Tunisia the local double after winning able to achieve the Tunisian EST won the Tunisian (EST) won the Tunisian Su- the Tunisian League title this Super Cup for the fourth League title in 2019-2020 per Cup for football, for the season. time in a row after winning season for the 13th time in fifth time in its history and the With this victory, EST the championship with its its history, while Sfaxien won fourth in a row, after beating strengthened its record as the new title for the first time second place in the competi- Club Sportif Sfaxien on penal- most successful team in the in 1993 by beating Club Mo- tion ranking. ties 5-4 on Sunday evening at championship, after scoring for stakbal Almarsaa (AS) 2-0, The two teams reserved a Esperance Sports Tunisia won their fifth Tunisian Super Cup title beating rivals CS Sfaxien 5-4 on penalties after a the Olympic Stadium in Rades. the fifth time in its history, two and the second time in front seat in the next edition of the goalless draw at Rades, Tunisia. The two teams resorted to titles ahead of its closest oppo- of the Sports Club in Ham- African Champions League.