Sports FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2013

PSG’s slow start coincides with Ibrahimovic’s drought

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain’s slow start in at Nantes, despite fielding four players goals. But Blanc has yet to find the best back from its Champions League setback the French league coincides with Zlatan each costing more than 40 million euros way to play them together. with a win at Evian. Lyon lost at Real Ibrahimovic’s goal drought. Ibrahimovic ($52.5 million). Ibrahimovic is a center forward who Sociedad 2-0 on Wednesday and 4-0 on was the French league’s top scorer when Hardly the kind of form that is going likes to drop back into a provider’s role, aggregate, failing to make the group PSG won the championship last season, to send a message across Europe that meaning that he moves into the space stage of the competition it used to quali- with a career-high 30 goals, and the PSG is going to become - as it hopes - a that Cavani needs to make his runs from fy for so easily. whole team was built around him under Champions League contender. deep or from off the flanks. Lyon needs the money and failure to former coach Carlo Ancelotti. But he has “I don’t think the players are at their Blanc would ideally like Ibrahimovic to qualify will doubtless impact on the yet to score so far and PSG has labored to best yet, physically,” Blanc said. “Every stay more central, but he showed last remaining few days of the transfer win- two scrappy draws and a hard-fought win match should bring us closer to the level season that on the football field he more dow. President Jean-Michel Aulas is des- last weekend at Nantes under coach of physical fitness we need. It will come, or less does what and goes where he perate to sell striker Bafetimbi Gomis - Laurent Blanc. “I hope it’s the first of a that’s for sure.” Part of PSG’s problem wants. Marseille does not have PSG’s rich- with Premier League club Newcastle long series of wins,” Blanc said. “In key may be that it’s no longer just about es but it has a level of teamwork and eager to sign him - but the striker refuses moments of games we’re not doing what Ibrahimovic. understanding that PSG craves. Coach to go and has been banished from the we should be doing or we don’t have the PSG signed striker Edinson Elie Baup did well on limited resources to first team. lucidity to do so.” Cavani to a five-year contract for 64 mil- secure a second-place finish last season After selling striker Lisandro Lopez, The big spenders are in eighth place lion euros ($84 million) in the fifth most and the team has picked up where it left Lyon played against Sociedad without a and four points behind leader Marseille expensive transfer in history. But the off. Striker Andre-Pierre Gignac - once so recognized center forward and the situa- heading into a match against newly-pro- potentially mouthwatering partnership portly that he was nicknamed “Big Mac tion bordered on the absurd with Gomis moted Guingamp tomorrow. has yet to click. “We have to find the bal- Gignac” and mocked by fans for his love tweeting during the match that he was Marseille will be looking for its fourth ance,” Blanc said. “We can’t play with all of junk food - looks fitter than in the past having dinner with his girlfriend in a straight win when it hosts second-place the attacking players we have in our and has scored in every game so far. restaurant. Also Saturday, it’s: Bastia vs. Monaco on Sunday. In PSG’s opening squad. It’s down to us to find the right Marseille has scored six goals and con- Toulouse; Lorient vs. Valenciennes; Reims match, it scraped a point against 10-man system and there is also competition for ceded one, showing that the defense, vs. Nantes; Rennes vs. Lille; and Sochaux Montpellier and then needed a late goal places.” Playing two of the best strikers in and particularly goalkeeper Steve vs. Ajaccio. Saint-Etienne hosts Bordeaux to salvage a point at home against the world together sounds easy, and Mandanda, are in fine form. and Nice faces Montpellier in Sunday’s Ajaccio before grinding out a 2-1 victory Cavani has made a decent start with two Meanwhile, Lyon needs to bounce other games. — AP Barca win Super Cup

BARCELONA: missed a late penalty attempt before Barcelona clinched the Spanish Super Cup despite being held to a 0-0 draw by 10-man Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. Messi had a chance to put the result beyond doubt in 89th but fired his penalty kick off the crossbar to finish a forgettable night for the star. Barcelona eventually claimed the trophy on away goals following the 1-1 draw in the open- ing leg last week. Atletico’s disciplined defense stifled a Stefan Kiessling Barcelona’s attack featuring Neymar mak- ing his first starting appearance for his new club. And the visitors enjoyed the rivals best scoring opportunities - other than Messi’s penalty attempt - but weren’t able seek advantage to get the critical goal, mainly because of Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Bayern slip Atletico’s chances were hurt in the 81st SPAIN: Barcelona football players celebrate their victory at the end of the when Filipe Luis was given a red card for Spanish Super Cup second leg football match against Atletico Madrid at the BERLIN: Bayern Munich’s rivals hope to capitalize on the defending apparently hitting Dani Alves. The score- stadium. — AFP champion’s first slip of the season in the Bundesliga. With an eye on less draw meant Neymar’s first-leg goal was below par, Neymar wasn’t able to ball and look to hit on the break worked in today’s European Super Cup against Chelsea in Monaco, Bayern rested was the difference. exploit his speed and dribbling against the first half. Diego Costa produced several regulars in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at home against Freiburg, drop- “I’m happy with the title. Whenever Atletico’s physical defense. Atletico’s first chance on goal in the 35th ping its first points in four games. Bayer Leverkusen can take advantage there is a title in play what counts is win- if it maintains its winning start at Schalke tomorrow, while Borussia “I think that individually they both when he passed for David Villa to set up ning it,” Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino played well,” Martino said of the pair. “It’s Jorge “Koke” Resurreccion, only for the Dortmund can do likewise at Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday. said. “But as far as the team goes, I want to Such is the top three’s strength compared to the rest that any true they didn’t find one another or com- young to weakly shoot into the dropped points could prove significant. Bayern only dropped points see more. Above all in these types of bine much. With Neymar playing on the Valdes’ arms. five times last season. Mainz will be hoping to maintain its surprising games, we need to find more precision left and Messi tending to move out to the Atletico missed another chance to go 100 percent record at Hannover on Saturday. Leverkusen has made and the ability to create more spaces.” right, they are far away. But I don’t doubt ahead in the 42nd when Arda Turan drew arguably the most impressive start - well-organized in defense and dan- Messi was back for Barcelona after they will find each other.” an excellent save from Valdes. Needing to gerous up front, where Stefan Kiessling and Sidney Sam have five goals missing one game due to a left thigh Barcelona may have increased its score to offset Barcelona’s away-goal between them. injury sustained in the opening Super Cup record of Spanish Super Cups contested advantage, Atletico dictated the pace ear- Schalke has conceded nine and has only one point from three match last week. But the four-time world between the league and Copa del Rey ly in the second half and shifted the action games. “We won’t get far with scaredy-cat football. We have to talk less player of the year was not his usual champions to 11, but its performance over to Barcelona’s area. Valdes was called and deliver more,” Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler said. dynamic self, lacking his spark and finish- both legs only raised questions of its tran- upon to make another one-armed save to The pressure on Schalke coach Jens Keller alleviated slightly on ing touch. He uncharacteristically scuffed Tuesday, when his side won 3-2 at Greek side PAOK Thessaloniki to sition under Martino since July. keep out Villa’s curling effort in the 56th. a close-range shot off a pass from Sergio advance to the Champions League 4-3 on aggregate. Atletico, meanwhile, kept building on Martino sent Pedro Rodriguez on in the “It’s an important successful experience for the team and I think that Busquets to start his off night. its good start to the Spanish league and its 65th to lift his team, and even though they will take something positive from it for the coming games,” Keller Martino gave Neymar his first start in preparations for a return to the Neymar wasted Dani Alves’ cross minutes said. Defenders Benedikt Hoewedes and Christian Fuchs are both sus- his fourth official game for Barcelona Champions League. later, the Spanish champions regained pended after being sent off in the 2-1 loss at Hannover last weekend, since his ‚Ǩ57-million move from Santos “We played both games very well,” said control. meaning left back Dennis Aogo is likely to start following his in June. Atletico coach , who guid- Barcelona was further helped when switch Wednesday from Hamburger SV. Messi and Neymar had only previously ed his team to the Copa last May. “We had Filipe Luis was sent off, and Pedro Dortmund labored to beat Werder Bremen 1-0 last weekend and been on the pitch together for seven min- more chances than they did. I am very appeared to have given Messi the opportu- faces a Frankfurt side relieved after beating promoted Eintracht utes because Martino said he wanted to proud of my players because we were nity to ensure the trophy when he earned Braunschweig for its first points of the season last week. Unbeaten ease the 21-year-old Brazil striker into his competitive across both legs with a foul in the box from Miranda. But Messi Hertha Berlin hopes to continue its best start to a Bundesliga season at new team. But those eager to see the two Wolfsburg on Saturday. “Wolfsburg are the best quality opponents up Barcelona, which is the best team in the struck his spot kick off the woodwork to to now,” Hertha coach Jos Luhukay said. —AP together were disappointed. While Messi world.” Atletico’s plan to relinquish the the shock of the home fans. — AP