P19.E$S 3 Layout 1
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015 SPORTS LONDON: Chelsea’s Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho celebrates on the floor as Chelsea players celebrate with the trophy during the presentation after Chelsea won the League Cup. —AFP Chelsea continue silverware hunt LONDON: Suggestions that Chelsea effectively game in hand, they are beginning to look matches. City will hope to get back on track in top of the league,” Arsenal manager Arsene maintain their upward progress. “The team is bagged two trophies on Sunday were pre- untouchable. a home game against bottom club Leicester Wenger said after his side responded to the very clear on how it’s working and is playing at sumptuous but they make the trip across town West Ham, after flirting with the top four City while third-placed Arsenal, who are nine Champions League debacle against AS a real good level,” Liverpool manager Brendan to West Ham United on Wednesday with a vice- earlier in the season, have fallen away and adrift of Chelsea, are at Queens Park Rangers. Monaco by beating Everton on Sunday to Rodgers said. Tottenham, six points off the top like grip on the Premier League title race. Chelsea will be buoyant at Upton Park in a fix- Fourth-placed Manchester United travel to strengthen their top-four credentials. four, must shake off two big setbacks as they Manchester City’s 2-1 defeat by Liverpool ture they usually dominate-losing only one of Newcastle United. Mourinho insists United are “You can drop points against anybody.” host Swansea City. After tumbling out of the shortly before Chelsea beat Tottenham the last 17 league clashes between the sides. still in the title race, along with Liverpool, Liverpool are the side in form, unbeaten in the Europa League and losing to Chelsea at Hotspur to lift the League Cup at Wembley was But Mourinho is not taking anything for grant- although in reality both those clubs are in the league since early December-a sequence of Wembley, their season is in danger of fizzling a huge bonus for Jose Mourinho’s side as they ed. “It’s in the hands of everyone,” Mourinho scrap for Champions League qualification results that has moved then to within two out. Southampton are also in need of fillip. pursue a first league title since 2010. Five said after the League Cup final. “We have lots of along with Arsenal, Tottenham and points of United. A home game against After back-to-back league defeats they host points clear of faltering champions City with a difficult matches to play. City have difficult Southampton. “It’s tighter and tighter at the Burnley on Wednesday should help them Crystal Palace late yesterday. —Reuters Preview Bayern aim to change gear BERLIN: Holders Bayern Munich aim to hit game behind closed doors on appeal. top gear in their bid to reach the German But the DFB banned Dresden entirely Cup quarter-finals, while the authorities from the 2013/14 cup competition after brace themselves for Borussia Dortmund’s Dynamo fans rioted after losing a penalty trip to Dresden late yesterday. shoot-out at Hanover 96 in October 2012 Third-division Dynamo Dresden host in a second-round clash. Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund in the cup’s On their first season back in the cup, third round against the backdrop of the Dresden in particular need to be on best riots which blighted their 2011 second- behaviour, especially with the game to be round clash. televised. Borussia beat Dynamo 2-0 on October “Dynamo is a cool draw,” said 25 2011 amidst ugly scenes as Dresden Dortmund coach Klopp, but the DFB and fans rioted and clashed violently with police will be paying close attention. Dortmund police. Both groups of support- Dortmund routed Schalke 3-0 on Saturday ers have a notorious reputation in in the Ruhr Valley derby to move up to Germany. The German Football tenth in the Bundesliga after four straight Association (DFB) initially threw Dresden wins having started the month bottom of out of the competition for a year for the the table, while Dresden are eighth in violence in Dortmund, then reduced the Germany’s third tier after relegation last punishment to a 100,000 euros fine and a season.—AFP PSG falter in title race PARIS: Paris St Germain missed the oppor- wide of the near post. tunity to overtake Olympique Lyonnais at The Argentina international said PSG the top of Ligue 1 after a 0-0 draw at had lacked concentration against resilient Monaco on Sunday. Monaco who were confident after their MILAN: Inter Milan’s Argentinian forward Rodrigo Palacio (left) vies for the ball with Fiorentina’s defender from Argentina Gonzalo during the PSG failed to take advantage after Lyon midweek Champions League success Italian Serie A football match. —AFP suffered their first Ligue 1 defeat in three against Arsenal. months against Lille on Saturday. Lyon “It depended on us to win and once have 54 points from 27 games, followed by more we didn’t get top spot,” he told PSG on 53 and Olympique de Marseille, Canal+ Television. Monaco on Wednesday Fiorentina edge Inter beaten 3-2 at home by Caen on Friday, on gave Arsenal a lesson in patient, counter- 50. Monaco are fourth on 44. attacking football to win their Champions Javier Pastore missed the best chance to League last 16 first leg-match 3-1 in MILAN: Fiorentina forward Mohamed Manuel Pasqual’s cross to give Fiorentina rest of the season into a one-horse race. break the deadlock in the second half London and take a stranglehold on the Salah, enjoying a new lease of life since his their first away win over Inter for 15 years. Anderson put Lazio ahead when he curled a when, fed by Marco Verratti, he shot just tie.—Reuters move from Chelsea, scored again to give “I wanted to make the most of Salah’s right-foot shot into the top corner from the his side a 1-0 win at Inter Milan on Sunday extraordinary form. I know that when a edge of the area just before halftime and despite finishing with nine men due to player is going through that kind of form, provided the cross for former Germany for- injuries. it’s the coach’s job to encourage him,” ward Miroslav Klose to head the second. An inspired Felipe Anderson perform- Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella told He unwittingly provided the third when ance, including a majestic opening goal, led reporters. Fiorentina had to cling on after his shot was deflected into the path of Lazio to a 3-0 win at Sassuolo and moved losing Nenad Tomovic to a nasty knock on Marco Parolo who completed the win. them two points behind third-placed the head and Stefan Savic, also to injury, in Stefano Okaka gave Sampdoria, sixth with Napoli, who lost 1-0 at Torino, as the race for the closing minutes, having made their 39 points, a 2-1 win at Atalanta to end a Champions League places warmed up. three substitutions. five-match winless league run, tapping the The weekend’s matches all kicked off 15 Norberto Neto made a superb save to tip ball across the line after Marco Sportiello minutes late in a show of solidarity, organ- Rodrigo Palacio’s header over the bar in failed to hold a Samuel Eto’o shot. ised by the Italian Players’ Association (AIC), stoppage time while the Argentine wasted Gianfranco Zola’s Cagliari were left stuck for bottom-of-the-table Parma, whose game another chance by shooting at Neto instead in the relegation zone and three points at Genoa was called off because of the club’s of passing to the unmarked Mauro Icardi. adrift of 17th-placed Atalanta and safety financial crisis. Napoli, who are third in the Champions after losing 2-1 at home to Verona. Parma’s players have not been paid all League playoff spot, have 45 points from 25 Luca Toni, with a clever finish, and season. Salah, who made only 13 Premier games after losing to Kamil Glik’s second Juanito Gomez put Verona in control before League appearances, mostly from the half goal at Torino. They are followed by Daniele Conti pulled one back with a free bench, in his year at Chelsea, came on just Lazio (43) and Fiorentina (42). Roberto kick in the 90th minute. before halftime for the injured Khouma Mancini’s Inter are ninth with 35 points. Cesena, one place off the bottom, moved Babacar and settled a disappointing game Second-placed Roma (48 points) entertain within one point of Cagliari by beating MONACO: Monaco’s French forward Anthony Martial (left) vies with Paris Saint- with his third Serie A goal in four outings. leaders Juventus (57) in the top-of-the- Udinese 1-0 thanks to an Alejandro Germain’s Brazilian defender David Luiz (right) during the French L1 football The Egyptian pounced in the 55th minute table clash on Monday where anything oth- Rodriguez header. Palermo and Empoli match. —AFP after Samir Handanovic failed to hold er than a win for the hosts could turn the drew 0-0. —Reuters.