Venus put out No dream of orbit in debut for Dubai Open Afghans

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 201516 18 Celtic, Inter rematch tops Europa League Page 19

GERMANY: Schalke’s Atsuto Uchida (left) fights for the ball with Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo during the Champions League round of 16 first leg soccer match. — AP Real move towards last eight

GERMANY: Holders Real Madrid have one foot in the Real won 6-1 at the Veltins Arena. safety. But on 27 minutes the visitors hit the front with Kevin-Prince Boateng. Boateng was booked as a Champions League quarter-finals after beating The home team had employed a compact 5-3-2 for- a remarkably simple goal. Aogo backed off Dani result of the foul, meaning he will be suspended for Schalke in the last 16, first leg, in Germany for a sec- mation in the hope of avoiding a repeat of that result Carvajal, allowing the Real full back to deliver a left- the return leg on March 10. ond year running. and they enjoyed a solid start. footed cross from the right side of the box. Ronaldo continued to threaten but Schalke sur- A Cristiano Ronaldo header gave the visitors a With the home fans and players growing in belief, Ronaldo was left completely unmarked and timed vived until the interval. In the second half, Boateng deserved lead at the break and Marcelo rifled home a Schalke wing back Dennis Aogo blazed over from the his run well to head over the advancing twice tried his luck from distance and Isco side-footed superb second goal with 11 minutes left as the edge of the box after being well set up by Eric Maxim Wellenreuther. It nearly got worse for the home team over from inside the box for Real before Schalke came Spanish league leaders stretched their winning streak Choupo-Moting and Marco Hoeger. just past the half hour when Toni Kroos played in desperately close to an equaliser. Atsuto Uchida ran in the competition to 10 games. And there were howls of derision when a wild Karim Benzema but 19-year-old Wellenreuther made on to a long ball after 74 minutes and cleverly teed up Ronaldo’s goal, his first in four matches, was his effort from Ronaldo almost went out for a throw-in as just enough contact to prevent the ball squirming the impressive Platte, who saw his fierce strike hit the 73rd in the Champions League. The Ballon d’Or win- Real, playing in unfamiliar pink, struggled to test into the net. bar. Uchida got on the end of the rebound but his ner now sits only two behind Barcelona’s Schalke goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther on his Schalke’s hopes of coming back looked bleak when effort lacked the power to beat Casillas. in the all-time scorers list. Champions League debut. Huntelaar hobbled off through injury and was And Real ensured they would return to Spain with Schalke’s Champions League debutant Felix Platte Soon after that, former Real striker Klaas-Jan replaced by 19-year-old Platte. Wellenreuther then a commanding advantage when Brazilian left-back had struck the bar before Marcelo’s goal, as the Huntelaar followed up a bustling run with a long- flung himself to his right to keep out a free kick from Marcelo drove a sublime right-footed strike to the top German side fared much better than last season when range strike that Real ‘keeper Iker Casillas pushed to Ronaldo after the Real attacker was scythed down by corner from the edge of the penalty area. — AFP Porto come good at the end to hold Basel Chelsea fans spark BASEL: FC Porto were unfortu- from the right and fired a left- new racism storm nate not to come away from footed show low into the right- Switzerland with more than a 1-1 hand corner but Vaclik got down draw in Basel in their Champions smartly to turn it round the post PARIS: French and British police yes- es,” said a New Scotland Yard state- League last 16, first leg tie yester- for a corner. terday launched a hunt for self-pro- ment. The images shocked the football day after failing to convert their Then, having struggled on for claimed “racist” Chelsea football fans establishment. In a statement, Chelsea superiority into goals. For a long a further 10 minutes, Gonzalez who pushed a black man off a Paris called the incident “abhorrent” and time it appeared that Basel would finally hobbled off and was duly metro train. said it had “no place in football or soci- make home advantage and a fair replaced by Davide Calla three A new storm of controversy over ety”. amount of luck count after taking minutes later. racial abuse in the sport after amateur “We will support any criminal action an early lead and holding out Porto were playing some neat- video emerged showing the fans against those involved, and should evi- until the closing stages. ly controlled football and chanting: “We’re racist, we’re racist, and dence point to involvement of Chelsea Outplayed for long periods by thought their superior possession that’s the way we like it!” season-ticket holders or members, the a mobile and swift visiting side at had been rewarded on 35 min- English Premier League leaders club will take the strongest possible St Jakob-Park, Basel, had goal- utes when Cristian Tello appeared Chelsea called the affair “abhorrent”. action against them, including ban- keeper Tomas Vaclik, some poor to spring the offside trap running International football leaders also con- ning orders.” Porto finishing and two referee- on to a ball from Hector Herrera demned the incident in the centre of European football’s governing body ing decisions to thank for the and scooped the ball over Vaclik the French capital ahead of Chelsea’s UEFA said it was “appalled” by the slender lead they clung to against but the assistant referee stood Champions League game against Paris behaviour, but because the incident the run of play until a late penal- firm and called it offside. Saint Germain on Tuesday night. had occurred outside a stadium, it was ty. With both sides showing a The British supporters repeatedly “outside UEFA’s remit” to act upon it. Basel drew first blood in the muscular determination in the pushed back the man each time he Sepp Blatter, president of world 11th minute as Paraguayan Derlis tackle, English referee Marc SWITZERLAND: Basel’s Swiss forward Breel Embolo (center) vies tried to get on the packed carriage, governing body FIFA, wrote on Twitter: Gonzalez shrugged off a chal- Clattenburg ended the half with with Porto’s Brazilian midfielder Casemiro (left) and Porto’s according to film obtained by The “I also condemn the actions of a small lenge from Alex Sandro running four names in the book, Frei and Spanish defender Ivan Marcano during the UEFA Champions Guardian newspaper. group of Chelsea fans in Paris. There is on to a long defence-splitting ball Mohamed Elneny for Basel and League round of 16 first leg football match. — AFP French prosecutors said they have no place for racism in football!” through the middle from Fabian Casemiro and Oliver for Porto. a corner after Vaclik parried an have finally levelled in the 65th opened an investigation into “deliber- England’s Football Association said: Frei and squeezed it past the Five more followed in quick suc- initial header but again it was minute when he ran through and ate racial violence on public transport.” “The FA, like the club, completely con- onrushing Fabiano in the Porto cession in the second half, with ruled out by Clattenburg after a fired point-blank at Vaclik who “We will work with British police, these demn such disgraceful behaviour, goal. Basel’s Walter Samuel, Shkelzen long discussion with the assis- somehow got his body in the way people must be known,” a French which is a criminal offence, and those But in his over-exuberant cele- Gashhi and Marek Suchy, along tant, apparently for a foul on the and helped the ball loop up over police source told AFP. London police responsible should face the strongest brations, Gonzalez appeared to with Porto’s Alex Sandro and ‘keeper. the bar. confirmed that they would assist the possible punishment.” The footage was hurt himself and had to have Danilo also seeing yellow for ill- Ricardeo Quaresma, surpising- In the end, it took a penalty French investigation. filmed by Paul Nolan, a Briton living in treatment to a calf before he timed tackles. It looked as though ly missing from Porto’s starting from Danilo 11 minutes from the “We will examine the footage with a Paris. He told The Guardian he was could continue. Porto were finally back on level line-up, finally got a run out on end after Walter Samuel had han- view to seeing if we can apply for foot- “completely appalled” by what he saw On 20 minutes, Porto’s Danilo terms within three minutes of the the hour, replacing Brahimi.But it dled his cross in the area to bring ball banning orders, preventing peo- at Richelieu-Drouot station in central served notice of the visitors’ restart as Casemiro scooped the was fellow-striker, Colombian Porto a deserved share of the ple from travelling from future match- Paris. — AFP attacking intent when he cut in ball home in a crowded area from Jackson Martinez who should spoils. — AFP