MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2015 SPORTS Pirates, Zamalek qualify, Ahly almost there JOHANNESBURG: A 2-0 victory for Substitute Lehlohonolo Majoro cut in Orlando Pirates over AC Leopards of Congo from the left and his cross was pushed into Brazzaville took the South African club and the net by captain Oupa Manyisa at the far Zamalek of Egypt into the CAF post. Confederation Cup semi-finals this week- A fourth win in five matches lifted end. Pirates to 12 points, Zamalek have nine, Title-holders Al Ahly of Egypt took a sig- Leopards four and record three-time nificant step toward joining them in the Confederation Cup title-holders CS Sfaxien penultimate phase of the second-tier of Tunisia just one. African Football Confederation (CAF) club Sfaxien host Zamalek late Sunday at competition by winning 1-0 at Esperance of Stade Taieb Mhiri in Mediterranean indus- Tunisia. Former African champions Pirates trial city Sfax. Ghana-born new signing and Zamalek were guaranteed last-four John Antwi scored after five minutes to slots unless shock 2012 Confederation Cup give Ahly-winners of a record 19 CAF titles- winners Leopards triumphed at a rain- success over bottom-of-the-table soaked Orlando Stadium in Soweto. Esperance at Stade El Menzah in Tunis. The Congolese troubled the South The match marked the end of the short Africans in the early stages of the matchday reign of former Olympique Marseille sport- 5 Group B duel only to fall behind after 33 ing director Jose Anigo as Esperance coach. minutes to a goal from Mpho Makola, scor- Anigo quit the ‘Blood and Gold;’ after five er of a domestic brace four days before. losses in seven matches, including four Kermit Erasmus got behind the Leopards Confederation Cup defeats. defence and his cut-back was swept into Ahly will seal a semi-finals slot later the net by unmarked Makola, who got his Sunday if Stade Malien fail to defeat sec- first national team call-up this week. ond-place Etoile Sahel of Tunisia in Needing at least two goals to survive, Bamako. The Cairo club have 10 points in Leopards took second-half risks and were Group A, 2006 Confederation Cup winners eventually punished when the Buccaneers Etoile nine, Malien four and Esperance counter-attacked three minutes from time. three. —AFP EPL results/standings SPAIN: Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta (center) duels for the ball with Athletic Bilbao’s Oscar de Marcos during their Spanish La Liga soccer Everton 0 Manchester City 2 (Kolarov 60, Nasri 88); Watford 0 Southampton 0; West Brom 2 (Morrison 35, match. —AP 59) Chelsea 3 (Pedro 20, Costa 30, Azpilicueta 42). Playing today Arsenal v Liverpool Barca gain revenge on Bilbao English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): MADRID: Barcelona exacted revenge for their Super Cup matches after also playing in the Roberto was deputising in an unusual posi- Spanish Super Cup defeat to Athletic Bilbao to Europa League on Thursday. After a quiet start tion at right-back after replacing the injured Man City 3300 8 0 9 Watford 3 0 3 0 2 2 3 get off to a winning start in La Liga thanks to the game burst into life when referee Carlos del Dani Alves midway through the first-half, but his Luis Suarez’s solitary second-half strike. Cerro Grande controversially pointed to the spot impressive showing continued as he smashed a Leicester 3 2 1 0 7 4 7 Bournemouth 3 1 0 2 4 5 3 Lionel Messi’s troubles from the penalty spot when Suarez went down under a challenge from shot off the bar from a narrow angle as Barca Man Utd 3 2 1 0 2 0 7 Arsenal 2 1 0 1 2 3 3 continued as he saw a first-half spot-kick saved Gorka Elustondo. threatened to double their advantage. Crystal Palace 3 2 0 1 6 4 6 Aston Villa 3 1 0 2 2 3 3 by Gorka Iraizoz. However, his strike partner However, Messi failed to open the scoring However, the visitors suffered another injury ensured that miss didn’t prove costly as Suarez from the resulting spot-kick as Iraizoz flew to his blow when Sergio Busquets was stretchered off Liverpool 2 2 0 0 2 0 6 Stoke 3021 3 4 2 volleyed home early in the second-half to hand right to make a brilliant save. The Argentine has with an ankle problem and were left hanging on Swansea 3 1 2 0 5 3 5 Tottenham 3 0 2 1 3 4 2 the champions all three points. now missed five penalties for club and country with a makeshift back four. Everton 3 1 1 1 5 4 4 Newcastle 3 0 2 1 2 4 2 Luis Enrique’s men were returning to the in the past year and failed to find the net in 14 of Ibai Gomez had the Basques’ best chance to ground where they were thrashed 4-0 in the first the 63 penalties he has taken for Barca. equalise 10 minutes from time, but he blasted Norwich 3 1 1 1 5 5 4 Southampton 3 0 2 1 2 5 2 leg of the Super Cup just nine days ago and Iraizoz produced an even better stop over when the ball fell invitingly inside the Barca Chelsea 3 1 1 1 5 7 4 Sunderland 3 0 1 2 4 8 1 were without the suspended Gerard Pique, moments later to prevent Suarez sweeping box. West Ham 3 1 0 2 6 6 3 West Brom 3 0 1 2 2 6 1 whilst Neymar wasn’t fit to take part after just home Sergi Roberto’s cross to ensure Athletic And Messi nearly sealed the three points with returning to training following a bout of the went in level at the break. a stunning individual run past a host of tired mumps. The Uruguayan wasn’t to be denied just eight Athletic defenders, reminiscent of his opening Athletic were also missing a number of first- minutes into the second-half, though, as he con- goal in the Copa del Rey final between the sides Liverpool take on Arsenal team regulars, though, and struggled to match nected sweetly on his left-foot with Jordi Alba’s in May, but his finish lacked the accuracy needed their high-energy performances in the two cross. to beat Iraizoz.—AFP LONDON: Emboldened by back-to-back only averaged around four shots on target victories, Liverpool visit longstanding rivals and with 43 percent possession. “So it tells Arsenal today looking to score points in the you that you can go there and you don’t early-season battle for position in the need to dominate the ball, but you can Thereau stuns Juve with late winner Premier League. dominate the space and that’s obviously Liverpool lost 4-1 on their last trip to the something that is important, especially in MILAN: New Udinese signing Cyril the hands of Orestis Karnezis. threaded a perfect ball through for hands of Karnezis after Pogba’s lay- Emirates Stadium in April as their challenge the big games away.” While Arsenal Thereau pounced late in the second Juve went closer on 19 minutes Pogba, but after first rounding off on the edge of the area. for a Champions League place faded, with claimed their first points of the season by half to secure a 1-0 win away to when Stephan Lichsteiner ran on to a Thomas Heurtaux the defender did But the hosts were stunned 12 Brendan Rodgers’s side taking just eight winning 2-1 at Crystal Palace last weekend, Juventus and hand the champions header to fire a deflected shot just well to slide in and deny the minutes form time when Thereau points from a possible 27 in the run-in. But the opening loss to West Ham called their their first ever opening-day defeat in wide of the far post. Frenchman. Juve were throwing was left alone at the back post to having beaten Stoke City and credentials as title contenders into ques- Turin. In 40 previous matches on the Roberto Pereyra then ran on to a everything at Udinese, Patrice Evra slide a cross-field ball from Panagiotis Bournemouth, and with Arsenal having lost tion. opening day of the Serie A season, loose ball following a challenge on even firing a first-timer into the Kone past Buffon.—AFP 2-0 at home to West Ham United on the A second home defeat in succession Juventus had lost only once, a 1-0 Coman only to produce a weak shot opening weekend, Liverpool return to would see yet more scorn poured on reverse away to Bari in 2010. that gave Karnezis no problems. north London with confidence at least par- Arsenal’s title chances and Wenger knows it Yet after dominating for long peri- Lichsteiner, switched to the wing- tially restored. is of paramount importance that his players ods, Juve ultimately failed to convert back position in Allegri’s 3-5-2, was “No matter when these games come in put the West Ham result behind them. “If their many chances and were finding plenty of space down the the season, they’re always good for the you want to have a successful season, you stunned in the 78th minute when right and unleashed an angled drive psychological effect,” Liverpool manager want to be strong at home,” said the Thereau-signed in the off-season that forced Karnezis to block.