SPORTS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2014 Bayern rout Freiburg

BERLIN: Bayern Munich warmed up for To add to the visitors’ misery, signing from Partizan Belgrade, then needed Wednesday’s Champions League last 16, first- Jan Hochscheidt scored Braunschweig’s just 17 seconds to score his first leg clash at Arsenal by trouncing Freiburg 4-0 fourth-the 51st goal Hamburg have conceded goal on his Dortmund debut. “That was a yesterday to stretch their Bundesliga lead to this season-in the third minute of added time. great game and a great mentality from my 16 points. The result means Hamburg remain second team, they were strong from the first second,” Bayern coach Pep Guardiola-whose side from bottom, but now only four points sepa- said Dortmunc coach Jurgen Klopp. extended their record unbeaten league run to rate the bottom five teams. Having already “We scored the goals at just the right 46 matches-rested several stars ahead of the won 1-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt in the German times.” international Ludovic Obraniak clash with the Gunners in London, but still Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday, Borussia netted his first Bundesliga goal since joining started with 10 internationals. “We wanted to Dortmund enjoyed a 4-0 romp against Armin from Bordeaux in January when he equalised put in a good performance before the Arsenal Veh’s side in the league to stay third. two minutes from time to secure a 1-1 draw at game-now we’re looking forward to the Gabon international Pierre-Emerick home to Borussia Moenchegladbach. Champions League,” said Bayern’s goalkeeper Aubameyang, who headed the winner at Hoffenheim enjoyed a 4-1 romp at home Manuel Neuer. Frankfurt, was back to terrorise Eintracht with to VfB Stuttgart, while on Friday Mainz inched With second-placed Bayer Leverkusen two goals in the opening 20 minutes. closer to a Europa League place next season hosting Schalke 04 late yesterday, Bayern Poland striker netted with a 2-0 win over Hanover 96 to stay just took the chance to extend their huge lead at a penalty, while Serbia’s Milos Jojic, a January outside the top six on goal difference. — AFP the top of the table. Brazil centre-back Dante opened the scoring when he headed home on 19 minutes, and Swiss Xerdan Shaqiri added the second on 34 minutes after a superb reverse pass from fell into his path and he fired home. The stocky Swiss then added his second just before the break — veteran striker Pizarro added a fourth two minutes from time. The game ended on a sour note for Shaqiri, though, as he had to go off with a MADRID: Atletico’s Raul GarcÌa (center) controls the ball during a Spanish La Liga soccer match torn hmastring. between Atletico Madrid and Valladolid. — AP KUMBELA’S TREBLE Former Dutch national coach Bert van Atletico ease past Valladolid Marwijk is under increasing pressure as Hamburg suffered an eighth straight defeat, MADRID: Atletico Madrid moved clear at the top of it was imperative for Simeone’s men to get back to crashing 4-2 at bottom side Eintracht La Liga, for a few hours at least, as two goals inside winning ways if they were to maintain their title chal- Braunschweig. the first four minutes guided them to a 3-0 win over lenge and they couldn’t have made a better start. “My job isn’t important to me at the Valladolid. Garcia fired home his 10th goal of the campaign moment, I am just trying to do everything I Raul Garcia opened the scoring from a well- from the edge of the area from Gabi’s free-kick, and can to get Hamburg out of this,” said Van worked free-kick after three minutes before Diego Costa then doubled his side’s advantage as he raced Marwijk. Routed 5-0 by Bayern in the German Costa lofted in his 25th goal of the season 60 seconds onto Koke’s ball over the top and lobbed the ball over Cup on Wednesday, Hamburg have lost a club later. And Diego Godin rounded off the scoring when the advancing Diego Marino. record seven successive league games. he headed home the third 17 minutes from time. Atletico then eased off after their initial burst and Hamburg took the lead when striker Pierre- Atletico now lead Barcelona and Real Madrid by Valladolid threatened to get back into the game at Michel Lasogga grabbed the opening goal on three points, but Barca can reclaim top spot when the start of the second half when Javi Guerra volleyed his return from injury on 23 minutes. they host Rayo Vallecano later yesterday. just over. But Braunschweig’s Democratic Republic “The key was the intensity that the players started Mario Suarez nearly made the game safe when he of Congo-born Dominick Kumbela came off with. Going 2-0 ahead allowed us to relax and once it saw his header come back off the bar from Koke’s cor- the bench to score twice before Croatia mid- went 3-0 even more so,” said Atletico boss Diego ner. However, Atletico did get a third goal from anoth- fielder Ivo Ilicevic appeared to save Simeone. er corner 10 minutes later when Godin headed back Hamburg’s blushes with the equaliser 14 min- However, the Argentine continued to play down across goal into the far corner to leave Marino strand- utes from time. his side’s chances of fighting for the title. “We contin- ed. Simeone then had the luxury of replacing Koke However, Kumbela wrapped up his hat- ue to go minute by minute. We are happy to be top of and Arda Turan with one eye on their return to trick when he pounced in a goal-mouth the league until eight o’clock this evening, but there is Champions League action away to AC Milan as David scramble after another mistake from MUNICH: Bayern’s Claudio Pizarro of Peru (left) scores during the German First still 14 games to go which is a lot.” Villa made his return from injury, suggesting he may Hamburg’s German international goalkeeper Division Bundesliga soccer match against SC Freiburg. — AP After three consecutive defeats in league and Cup be fit to start at the San Siro on Wednesday. — AFP Rene Adler. Wenger in spotlight as Matches on TV Arsenal seek revenge (Local Timings) LONDON: Branded a “specialist in failure” by his Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho, Arsenal manager Arsene England FA Cup Wenger will hope his side prove otherwise when they host Everton v Swansea 16:30 Liverpool in the FA Cup today. In characteristic style, Chelsea beIN SPORTS 14 HD manager Mourinho tried to up the tension in the Premier beIN SPORTS 1 HD League title race on Friday when he accused Wenger of Sheffield v Nottingham 18:00 being a serial underachiever due to Arsenal’s nine-year tro- beIN SPORTS 9 HD phy drought. Arsenal v Liverpool 19:00 The Portuguese was responding to a suggestion from beIN SPORTS Wenger that Mourinho’s reluctance to talk up Chelsea’s own title credentials stemmed from a “fear to fail”. Italian Calcio League Chelsea currently lead Arsenal by a point at the top of Catania v Lazio 14:30 the table, with Manchester City and Liverpool in close pur- beIN SPORTS 3 HD suit, and with the four teams facing off in the cup this week- Juventus v Verona 17:00 end, sparks seem set to fly. beIN SPORTS 3 HD Chasing a first trophy since their 2005 success in the FA Atalanta v Parma 17:00 Cup, Arsenal will not want for motivation against a Liverpool beIN SPORTS 8 HD side who thrashed them 5-1 when the teams met last week- Genoa v Udinese 17:00 end. beIN SPORTS Brendan Rodgers’s side smashed four goals past Cagliari v Livorno 17:00 Wenger’s men inside the opening 20 minutes of their game beIN SPORTS at Anfield as Arsenal were ruthlessly toppled from the Sassuolo v Napoli 17:00 league summit. beIN SPORTS 4 HD Arsenal recovered to draw 0-0 at home to Manchester AS Roma v Sampdoria 22:45 United in mid-week, but Wenger admitted afterwards that beIN SPORTS his players has been left “nervous” after their chastening CORSICA: Monaco’s French defender Layvin Kurzawa (center) and Bastia’s French defender Sebastien Squillaci experience at Anfield. Spanish League (second right) vie for the ball during the French League football match. —AFP Nevertheless, the London club prevailed 2-0 when the Granada v Real Betis 14:00 sides met at the Emirates Stadium in November and Wenger James powers Monaco past Bastia beIN SPORTS 2 HD is confident that his players will be determined to restore Getafe v Real Madrid 19:00 pride after their capitulation seven days ago. beIN SPORTS 2 HD “These guys are winners. When they lose in that way, PARIS: James Rodriguez steered Monaco back to within five Palmieri’s corner. An uneventful opening period sparked into life Bilbao v Espanyol 21:00 believe me, they are hurt,” said the Frenchman. points of leaders Paris Saint-Germain after netting both on 45 minutes though after James was upended by defender beIN SPORTS 2 HD “When you can put things right, you want an opportuni- goals in a 2-0 win away to Bastia yesterday. The Colombian Sebastien Squillaci just outside the penalty area. Sevilla v Valencia 23:00 ty to do that and we have an opportunity.” struck a goal in either half as Monaco won for the first time in The former Porto winger dusted himself off before drilling beIN SPORTS 2 HD three matches to maintain the status quo at the top of the the resulting free-kick across Leca and into the far corner to put ‘CHIHUAHUAS’ French table. Defeat for Bastia, just a second home loss of the Monaco in front. James continued to threaten after the break, German Bundesliga Like Mourinho, Liverpool manager Rodgers has been season for the Corsican side, saw them remain in eighth. crossing for Germain only for the striker to prod wide at the near Augsburg v Nuremberg 17:30 eager to play down his side’s title chances, but after winning Monaco coach Claudio Ranieri recalled James, Joao Moutinho post. However, those two combined again to much greater Dubai Sports and Emmanuel Riviere to the starting line-up after the trio were effect 13 minutes from time as Monaco put the contest to bed. 3-2 at Fulham on Wednesday the Merseyside club are only Hertha v Wolfsburg 19:30 four points off the pace in the league. The Northern on the bench for Wednesday’s French Cup victory at Nice. Germain picked up a loose ball inside his own half and fed Dubai Sports However, the Monegasques were without Dimitar Berbatov James, who advanced unchallenged towards goal before firing Irishman described Liverpool as the “chihuahuas” of the title after the Bulgarian picked up a knee injury in that midweek win. expertly inside the far post for his second of the match and fifth French League race afterwards, in a reference to a remark from Mourinho that Chelsea were the “little horse” to Arsenal and City’s stal- Bastia goalkeeper Jean-Louis Leca, deputising once again for the of the season. Lyon v Ajaccio 16:00 lions. Rodgers, however, is reluctant to become further injured Mickael Landreau, was forced into an early save from Elsewhere, third-placed Lille travel to face Evian on Sunday beIN SPORTS 1 HD embroiled in the verbal sparring that looks set to charac- Riviere at the Stade Armand Cesari before Monaco full-back before fourth and fifth face off at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard as Gaillard v Lille 19:00 terise the final three months of the season. Layvin Kurzawa sent a header just wide. Saint-Etienne meet Marseille. On Friday, Paris Saint-Germain beIN SPORTS 5 HD “It is getting stupid now, isn’t it?” he said on Friday. “It is Djibril Cisse, who scored his first Bastia goal in Tuesday’s 3-1 strolled to a 3-0 win at home to struggling Valenciennes through Etienne v Marseille 23:00 probably more for the media, who will make more of it than victory at Toulouse, had the best chance for the hosts in the first goals from Ezequiel Lavezzi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and an own- beIN SPORTS half but couldn’t direct his headed effort on target from Julian goal from Gary Kagelmacher. — AFP it actually is. “I focus on the players and let them do the talking on the field. It is the job of the manager to release the pressure on the players to go and perform. Lavillenie shatters Bubka’s “It may affect some players, but I think for the majority of players with a strong mentality, it goes over their head.” 21-year-old pole-vault mark Liverpool are the form team in the at the moment and striker Daniel Sturridge can set a new club : Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie unsuccessful attempt at 6.21m, revealed record by scoring in a ninth consecutive game if he finds the broke Sergei Bubka’s 21-year-old indoor he had changed his pole in between the net against Arsenal. world record yesterday at the successful attempt at 6.01m and the Danish centre-back Daniel Agger will hope to start after same Donetsk meeting where the record vault, something he had never making his return from a calf injury as a substitute at Ukrainian great set the old mark in 1993. done before. “It was totally crazy. I want- Fulham, with Kolo Toure’s place potentially at risk after some Lavillenie, the Olympic champion, ed to do my best. It was incredible,” said high-profile blunders in recent matches. vaulted 6.16 metres at his first attempt to the 27-year-old. “I asked for 6.16m Full-back Glen Johnson is more likely to feature in next improve the record by one centimetre because it was the best place to break weekend’s home game with Swansea City, however, after a and to make the moment sweeter Bubka the record of Sergei Bubka, 21 years after spell on the sidelines with ankle and groin problems. was present to witness it and was among he set the mark. Arsenal have doubts over Spanish midfielder Santi the first to congratulate him. “I thought it was the best place to try Cazorla, who is ill, but French holding player Mathieu Lavillenie, or ‘Airvallenie’ as his fans as the best was there,” he added, refer- Flamini is in line to return following a three-match suspen- nickname him, put his head in his hands ring to Bubka’s presence. Lavillenie, who sion. and ran round the auditorium celebrat- has yet to win the world outdoor title With a home game against defending champions Bayern ing. Bubka, who still holds the outdoor having garnered two bronzes in 2009 Munich in the Champions League next week, Wenger may world record of 6.14m set in 1994, didn’t and 2011 and silver last year, had arrived HELSINKI: A combination of file pictures shows France’s Renaud Lavillenie (left) competing in elect to rotate his starting line-up and could rest striker the men’s pole vault final at the 2012 European Athletics Championships at the Olympic stop to make any remarks to local televi- in Donetsk in prime form having broken . The teams last played each other in the FA Stadium in Helsinki on July 1, 2012 and World record holder (right) of the sion. his own personal record twice last Cup in January 2007, when Arsenal eliminated holders clearing the bar during an attempt of men’s pole vault qualifying round on August 8, Liverpool 3-1 at Anfield thanks to a Tomas Rosicky brace and Lavillenie, who subsequently made an month. — AFP 1997 at the ‘97 World Athletics Championships in Athens. — AFP a goal from . — AFP