Former Giro winner Foul-mouthed Ilie Scarponi dies after Nastase expelled collision16 with van from17 Fed Cup tie SUNDAY, APRIL 23, 2017

Ten-man Hull defy odds to boost survival bid Page 19

LONDON: Chelsea’s Nathan Ake, 2nd right, heads the ball away from Tottenham’s , right, during the English FA Cup semifinal soccer match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at in London, yesterday. —AP

SOCCER Hazard fires Chelsea into FA Cup final

LONDON: fired Chelsea into the Arsenal or Manchester City, who meet in the dicated. Breaking at pace, Chelsea worked the cross, Kane was already on the move and his 52nd minute. Barely looking up as he received FA Cup final as the Belgian’s blistering strike second semi-final today. Having seen their ball towards Batshuayi and his deft backheel awareness gave him a valuable extra yard of the ball, Eriksen unfurled a majestic pass ensured Antonio Conte’s selection gamble paid lead at the top of the league cut to four points sent Pedro surging clear. space on Chelsea defender Nathan Ake as he towards Alli, who timed his run perfectly to slide off in his side’s dramatic 4-2 win over by second placed Tottenham last weekend and When the Spaniard was sent sprawling by stooped to guide a delicate header past in front of Luiz and direct a close-range finish Tottenham yesterday. looking vulnerable following a limp defeat at ’s lunge, Chelsea were hoping Thibaut Courtois. past Courtois. Blues boss Conte sprang a major surprise by Manchester United, this should be a huge psy- for a more severe punishment than the yellow But, despite controlling possession for long Conte responded by sending for the cavalry starting with Hazard and Diego Costa on the chological boost for Conte’s men. They rode card shown by referee Martin Atkinson. periods, Pochettino’s side still ended the half as Costa and Hazard came on for Willian and bench in the Wembley semi-final as he looked their luck at times but showed a decisive killer But their frustration was short-lived as Willian behind as his decision to play Son Heung-Min Batshuayi in the 61st minute, while Cesc ahead to the leaders’ vital fixture instinct while their London rivals came up stepped up to exact retribution from the free- out of position at left wingback was exposed in Fabregas was introduced soon after. against Southampton on Tuesday. short in crunch time. kick, the Brazilian’s superb 20-yard strike eluding the 43rd minute. Once again, Conte’s instincts were spot on But Conte’s bold moves proved inspired as Tottenham, losers yet again at Wembley and Tottenham goalkeeper before Kante slipped a pass to Victor Moses and and the Italian’s changes brought the winner in Hazard’s replacement Willian put Chelsea ahead still without an FA Cup final appearance since nestling into the far corner. when the Nigerian’s surge into the penalty area the 75th minute. early on and then restored their lead in the sec- 1991, need an immediate response in their mid- Kane has been the spearhead of Tottenham’s was halted by Son’s rash tackle Atkinson gave Fabregas’s corner was only partially cleared ond half after Harry Kane’s equaliser. week trip to Crystal Palace if they are to get impressive run this season and the England the penalty on the advice of his linesman. and Hazard seized the ball just inside the area Dele Alli levelled again for Tottenham, but revenge by pipping Chelsea to the title. striker’s typically predatory finish drew them lev- Batshuayi wanted to take it, but Conte before drilling a blistering finish beyond Lloris. Conte had all the answers and, when he sent Conte’s decision to pick Willian and Michy el in the 18th minute. demanded Willian step up and he stroked home If that was a memorable strike, there was on Hazard, the Belgian blasted Chelsea back Batshuayi instead of Hazard and Costa triggered the spot-kick in confident style. even better to come five minutes later when into the lead. Nemanja Matic’s thunderous a round of second guessing, but it took just five EXPOSED It could have been a major momentum Hazard teed up Matic and Serb’s thunderous 30- long-range effort sealed a final date against minutes for the former Juventus coach to be vin- As prepared to whip over a changer, yet Tottenham were level again in the yard rocket sent Chelsea into raptures. — AFP Thiago’s equaliser spares Bayern blushes

BERLIN: Thiago Alcantara’s second-half equaliser have time to prepare ourselves and we will play into the top six. Kruse is playing his way into rescued Bayern Munich in yesterday’s 2-2 draw at better.” Mainz took the lead just three minutes after Germany’s squad for June’s Confederations Cup home to Mainz as the runaway Bundesliga leaders kick-off at the Allianz Arena. Arturo Vidal lost the with nine goals in his last seven league games. twice came from behind. Having bowed out of the ball on the edge of Bayern area and ex-Barcelona Second-from-bottom Ingolstadt remain five Champions League quarter-finals 6-3 on aggregate Bojan Krkic snapped up possession to points from safety and four points behind following Tuesday’s 4-2 second-leg defeat at Real slot his first goal for Mainz and stun the home Augsburg in 16th place, which carries a two-legged Madrid, the draw caps a week to forget for Bayern, crowd. Normal service was resumed when Arjen promotion-relegation play-off against the third who are winless in their last four games. Robben sprinted onto Franck Ribery’s superb pass placed team in the second division. Relegation-threatened Mainz came close to anoth- and rifled home Bayern’s first equaliser on 16 min- Hertha Berlin stayed fifth-and on course for a er shock win in Munich, but Bayern extended their utes. Munich lost Austria defender David Alaba, Europa League berth next season-after Vedad unbeaten home run in the league to 20 matches clutching his thigh, moments later. Ibisevic’s second-half goal sealed a 1-0 win over dating back to March 2016, when they lost 2-1 to Bayern’s problems were compounded when his Wolfsburg, who dropped to 14th. Mainz. Spain star Thiago hit the equaliser 17 min- replacement Joshua Kimmich fouled Mainz’s Japan The 2009 Bundesliga champions and 2015 utes from time against a team just one point above striker Yoshinori Muto in the area. Bayern’s goal- German Cup winners are just one point above the the relegation places with four games left. Second- keeper Manuel Neuer is sidelined with a foot frac- bottom three. placed RB Leipzig can cut Bayern’s lead to six points ture for the rest of the season and his replacement Bottom side Darmstadt delayed their impend- by winning at Schalke on Sunday. Sven Ulreich could not stop Daniel Brosinski’s ing relegation by another week with a 2-1 win at Leipzig host Carlo Ancelotti’s Bayern on the penalty on 41 minutes that put Mainz 2-1 up at the Hamburg as captain Aytac Sulu and striker Felix penultimate weekend of the season on May 13. break. But Bayern finally made their 75 percent Platte netted for the visitors in the first three min- It was a poor performance from double-chasing possession count through Thiago’s equaliser from utes after the break. However, Darmstadt, coached Bayern ahead of Wednesday’s German Cup semi- 17 yards out. by ex-Germany midfielder Torsten Frings, are 12 final at home to Borussia Dortmund. “It wasn’t easy points from safety with four games left and have to play after the shock against Real Madrid, but we KRUSE HITS FOUR only a mathematical chance of staying up. could have done better,” admitted Ancelotti. Elsewhere, Germany striker Max Kruse scored all Eintracht Frankfurt picked up their first win in eight MUNICH: Bayern’s Juan Bernat, top, and Mainz’s Levin Oztunali challenge for the ball during “We expected more. We weren’t good in the four goals to cancel out Pascal Gross’s penalty and games as Mexico midfielder Marco Fabian netted the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and FSV Mainz 05 at the first half and not compact enough. “I am sure it will Dario Lezcano’s goal for relegation-threatened two late goals in their 3-1 comeback win at Allianz Arena stadium in Munich, Germany, yesterday. — AP be better against Dortmund on Wednesday. We Ingolstadt as Werder Bremen’s 4-2 win took them Augsburg. — AFP