27 Sports Tuesday, October 30, 2018 Mertens grabs Napoli draw with Roma to cut Juventus’ lead AC Milan back on track in Serie A with 3-2 win over Sampdoria

ROME: Dries Mertens grabbed a late equaliser to But the 31-year-old winger latched onto a miskick from snatch Napoli a 1-1 draw with Roma on Sunday which Jose Callejon to smash into the roof of the net and saw Carlo Ancelotti’s men cut Juventus’ lead at the top score his fifth goal of the campaign. of Serie A to six points. After seeing Saint- Earlier on Sunday, Gonzalo Higuain hit a crucial Germain steal a last-gasp 2-2 in their midweek equaliser and Suso fired a second-half winner as AC Champions League clash at the , this Milan got back on track in Serie A with a 3-2 win over time it was Napoli’s turn to salvage a point at the death. Sampdoria. Coach Gennaro Gattuso was under intense Stephan El Shaawary’s early opener for Roma pressure after a last-gasp derby loss to Inter last week looked to have won the game for the visitors, but was compounded by a 2-1 defeat by Real Betis in the Belgian international Mertens pounced in the 90th Europa League on Thursday. minute to limit the damage for Napoli. Reigning cham- But the former Rangers and Milan has pions Juventus remain well clear after Cristiano won respite, for the moment at least, after a fourth Ronaldo scored a double, including a thunderous 25- league win in nine outings left Milan fifth, albeit 13 yard winner, in a 2-1 win at Empoli on Saturday. points adrift of leaders and champions Juventus. But last year’s runners-up Napoli are now unbeaten “Tension is normal when you lose to Inter and then in their last five games in all competitions since a 3-1 in the Europa League,” Gattuso told Sky Sport Italia. loss at Juve in September. Just seconds after Edin “I asked to see 23 rabid dogs today and we added Dzeko had seen a long-range shot fly narrowly wide, El quality to that too. You can’t beat Sampdoria only Shaarawy gave Roma a 14th-minute lead with his third with grit and we put three goals past them. It was a goal of the season. wonderful game.” Dzeko failed to get a touch on Turkish winger Milan looked to be under the cosh when Sampdoria Cengiz Under’s low cross, but the 26-year-old El took a 2-1 lead through Fabio Quagliarella on 31 min- Shaarawy was on hand to slot the ball in off the post, utes after Riccardo Saponara had levelled Patrick despite the best efforts of Kalidou Koulibaly on the line. Cutrone’s 17th-minute opener for the San Siro giants. The hosts quickly went in search of an equaliser, but But Higuain responded on 36 minutes and, amid a Roma goalkeeper Robin Olsen did well to deny both second half that saw few real chances, Spanish forward Arkadiusz Milik and Marek Hamsik in quick succession. Suso provided an impressive winner. “I have to thank Napoli dominated possession in the second half, but my players for a performance of character and quality,” ROME: Napoli’s Spain striker Jose Maria Callejon (L) controls the ball during the Italian Serie A football match SSC Napoli struggled to create many clear-cut chances, with added Gattuso. “We’ve got to keep working, getting vs AS Roma on Sunday at the San Paolo Stadium. —AFP Mertens seeing two late efforts ruled out for offside. better and enjoying each others’ company.” — AFP

time. An 11th win on the bounce from the start of the cam- Velodrome aimed at the world’s most expensive player. Dropped Mbappe paign for PSG means they have equalled Tottenham At one point in the second half, stepped away Hotspur’s record from the 1960-61 season, the best in any from the corner mark holding a miniature bottle of spirits of Europe’s big five leagues. that had been thrown in his direction. While Neymar start- comes on to grab crucial “It was what the team needed,” Mbappe told Canal ed, Tuchel left both Mbappe and Adrien Rabiot on the Plus of his cameo off the bench. “A great team relies on its bench at kick-off. Lopetegui set goal as PSG equal leaders and they need to be able to make the difference in missed the game due to injury, so key moments. I can take on that role and I did it today.” Cameroon striker Choupo-Moting made his first start for sack as Real The win record is a superb achievement for Tuchel, since his surprise arrival late in the summer transfer win- European win record even if it is marred somewhat by PSG’s patchy perform- dow. played the furthest forward in a ances in the Champions League, including a fortunate 2-2 side lacking a proper striker, and the best chance target Conte PARIS: Kylian Mbappe responded to being dropped by draw at home to Napoli in midweek. in the first half came in stoppage time as Kevin Strootman coming off the bench and scoring the opener as Paris But the German admitted that the result had been over- cleared off the line from Di Maria. Saint-Germain won 2-0 at Marseille on Sunday to make it shadowed by the decision to drop Mbappe, which he inti- The Argentine, who scored PSG’s stoppage-time MADRID: Julen Lopetegui’s brief and inglorious 11 wins out of 11 in this season and match a long- mated was a necessary measure. “I don’t like to play with- equaliser against Napoli, then forced an excellent save reign as Real Madrid coach could come to an end standing European record. out Kylian. I hate playing without him in a match like this,” from Mandanda seconds after the restart. As tempers yesterday with the defending European champions Mbappe was a shock omission from the PSG starting he said. In Ligue 1, PSG are eight points clear of second- started to fray, Tuchel’s assistant Arno Michels was sent to believed to have lined up Antonio Conte as his line-up by coach , with broadcaster Canal placed Lille, who beat Caen 1-0 on Saturday and visit the the stands, but PSG were beginning to look more danger- replacement. Plus reporting the move was a punishment after the Parc des Princes next Friday. Marseille, meanwhile, are ous and Neymar fired just wide after some superb foot- Lopetegui took training as usual yesterday morn- teenage World Cup winner showed up late for the pre- fifth, already 14 points behind the league leaders. work. Payet forced Alphonse Areola into a good stop from ing but is not expected to be in post for the Copa del match team talk. But he was sent on in the 62nd minute of OM have now failed to beat their greatest rivals in 18 his free-kick just before the hour mark, but Mbappe then Rey game against minnows Melilla tomorrow. ‘Le Classique’ for Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting and scored meetings in all competitions going back seven years, made his entrance and needed little time to put the visitors According to Spanish media, Real directors are set to the breakthrough goal just three minutes later, being although they matched the reigning champions for long in front. hit the post with a long-range pile- meet later yesterday, when Lopetegui’s sacking could released by Angel di Maria and racing clear to finish past spells of this game. driver but Marseille could not find an equaliser and Paris be confirmed. . Tensions always run high in this fixture, and there were wrapped up the victory with the last kick of the game. Conte is the favourite to succeed him but Santiago It was Mbappe’s 10th Ligue 1 goal this season, and a couple of brief hold-ups when Neymar tried to take cor- Mbappe found Neymar, and his shot was going wide of Solari, the coach of the club’s B team, Castilla, is in then wrapped up the victory in stoppage ners, with objects raining down from the stands of the the far post before Draxler turned it in. — AFP line to take temporary charge. In his two seasons with Castilla, Solari has overseen them finishing 11th and eighth in the Spanish third tier. Madrid were thrashed 5-1 by rivals Barcelona on Sunday as Luis Suarez scored a hat-trick, surely seal- ing Lopetegui’s fate. He was named coach only 139 Pochettino gloomy days ago, with his decision to accept the post costing him the chance to lead Spain at the World Cup. But Madrid’s dreadful recent run showed no sign despite Spurs’ of abating at the Camp Nou. They have now managed one win in their last seven matches, sit ninth in La best EPL start Liga and earlier this month went more than eight hours without a goal. Sports daily AS called the defeat a “lethal rout” on its front page on Monday, and it is a far cry from Sergio Ramos hoisting a third LONDON: says he feels the consecutive Champions League trophy in May. “worst” he has done as Tottenham manager After Sunday’s game, Ramos pointedly stated that despite guiding the club to their best-ever managing the dressing room at Real is more impor- start as he prepares his team to tant than technical knowledge. Some now believe, take on Manchester City. perhaps club president Florentino Perez included, The 46-year-old Argentine believes Spurs are that the team needs a firmer hand. “not showing that level to be a real contender” Zinedine Zidane and Lopetegui have both been even though they would leapfrog the defending keen to afford freedom to the players while Conte is champions if they beat them at Wembley. seen as a demanding coach, meticulous in his tactical Pochettino, who has been praised for nurturing a preparation and unrelenting when it comes to defen- group of talented young players delivering an sive organisation. eye-catching style of football, has had to contend “I’ve always had a good relationship with all the with a number of frustrations despite the bright coaches,” Ramos said. “Respect is earned, it isn’t start to the Premier League season, which has imposed. Those are the coaches with whom we’ve brought seven wins from nine games. won titles. Managing the dressing room is more Tottenham’s new stadium is facing ongoing important than the knowledge of a coach.” delays, with the club announcing that the rest of : Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha and Aimon Srivaddhanaprabha, the son and wife of Leicester City’s Thai chair- The finger of blame is not only being pointed at their 2018 home games will be at the national sta- man Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha who died in a helicopter crash at the club’s stadium, arrive to lay wreathes at the tributes Lopetegui, with Perez also being criticised for his dium. And Spurs became the first club in Premier layed to the victims of the crash at Leicester City Football Club’s Stadium in Leicester, yesterday. — AFP failure to sign a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo League history not to sign anyone during the after the Portuguese superstar departed for Juventus. “It is not just Julen’s fault”, read the headline on summer transfer window, even though many of for his support during his time in Russia with the Three the front page of Marca, Spain’s biggest selling daily. their players were involved in the latter stages of Jamie Vardy leads Lions. “Words can’t describe how I feel. A truly great, kind, Conte is available after being sacked by Chelsea in the World Cup. loving man who will be missed so much by everyone,” July. He had led them to the Premier League title in “The season so far, it’s strange because my Maguire wrote on Twitter. “I will never forget the 2017 in his first season, when a switch to a three-man feeling is the worst feeling I’ve had in the five Leicester tributes Chairman’s support, not only during my time @LCFC but defence was hailed as a brilliant, and decisive, strate- years that I’ve been here,” said Pochettino. “It’s also during the World Cup.” gic move. But they finished fifth in his second year, the worst. My feeling, but it’s the best start to ‘legend’ Vichai Vichai had attended Leicester’s 1-1 draw with West when the Italian grew increasingly agitated and frac- ever for the club in the Premier League. It’s Ham on Saturday and departed as was common in his heli- tious. He criticised the club’s transfer policy and fell strange, no?” copter from the centre-circle of the club’s King Power sta- out with Diego Costa, who was eventually sold to Pochettino, who has in the past been linked dium pitch. However, the aircraft soon encountered diffi- Atletico Madrid. with the Real Madrid job even though he is yet to LONDON: Jamie Vardy, a hero of Leicester’s remarkable culties and crashed into a car park outside the ground, Conte would be taking over a Madrid team that is win silverware, said his depressed mood dated Premier League title triumph two years ago, led tributes to with a huge fireball seen to engulf the wreckage. now seven points behind Barcelona, who returned to back to events in the summer. “I am disappointed the club’s owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who died “We would like to send our sincere condolences to the the top of the table after their emphatic win. Ramos when his helicopter crashed shortly after take-off just out- family of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha at this sad and tragic we are still waiting for the new stadium when the insisted, though, the title is not lost yet. side the team’s stadium. time,” said West Ham in a statement. “His immense contri- “There are people that would believe, others that expectation was to be there at the beginning of Thai billionaire Vichai, 60, was one of five people killed bution to Leicester City FC, the city of Leicester and the season,” he said. wouldn’t,” Ramos said. “I have won La Liga from 10 in Saturday’s crash, and is credited with leading Leicester’s English football will never be forgotten. Our condolences points behind. The key to success is to work. Madrid “I don’t know, many things happened in the meteoric rise from English football’s second tier when he also go to the other families affected by the tragedy. summer, many things that make myself not in my never gives up when it can turn the situation around.” took over in 2010 to champions for the first time. “We would also like to express our admiration for the All the failures that have underlined their problems best mood or best humour.” Pochettino’s main “Struggling to find the right words,” Vardy posted on emergency services who responded so swiftly and with frustration on the pitch has been the lack of a under Lopetegui were on show in the Clasico: poor Instagram alongside a picture of him and Vichai smiling. such bravery, and offer our support to anyone, including finishing, frantic defending and key players perform- killer touch. The club have reached the FA Cup “But to me you are legend, an incredible man who had the any West Ham United supporters, who may have wit- ing well below par, let alone at their best. semi-finals in the past two years only to be biggest heart, the soul of Leicester City Football Club. nessed the tragedy.” Lopetegui pointed to misfortune too, as Luka defeated by Chelsea and Manchester United. “Thank you for everything you did for me, my family Manchester United, a club touched by an air-accident Modric hit the post at 2-1, while Suarez’s second “I think, like a team, we still didn’t win nothing,” and our club. I will truly miss you.... may you rest in tragedy when eight players and three club staff were killed came from a penalty, awarded only after consultation he said. “We fail but we achieve. And of course peace... #theboss.” Vardy, plucked from the obscurity of among 23 victims in a plane crash in Munich 60 years ago, with the Video Assistant Referee. always when we arrive at like a final game, we non-league side Fleetwood Town in 2012, represented the expressed their sorrow at Vichai’s passing. “We feel we could have turned the game around, always fail. “It’s about learning to compete. It’s shrewd investment that characterised Vichai’s ownership. “Everyone at #MUFC is deeply saddened to learn that we had chances to equalise, and go on and win,” about learning to be better. It’s about changing Another impressive signing Harry Maguire, bought the Leicester City chairman and four fellow passengers Lopetegui said. “The punishment was excessive, 5-1 something we need to do different.” —AFP from second-division Hull less than a year before starring have lost their lives following last night’s tragic incident,” does not reflect the game.” —AFP for England at this summer’s World Cup, thanked Vichai the 20-time English champions said via Twitter.—AFP