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 Paris 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 Parc des Princes, 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 midfielder 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, Neymar 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 Edinson Cavani 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. Dimitri Payet played the furthest forward in a ances in the Champions League, including a fortunate 2-2 Marseille 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 Ligue 1 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 Thomas Tuchel, 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. Jordan Amavi 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. Steve Mandanda. 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 Julian Draxler 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: Mauricio Pochettino 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- Premier League start as he prepares his team to tant than technical knowledge.