sign in sign up
<<
Home , Jack Wilshere, Per Mertesacker

SPORTS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2013

SPL Preview Matches on TV Man Utd old boys (Local Timings) Celtic desperate to salute 40-up Giggs ENGLISH avoid another upset : Former team-mates of Manchester United v Arsenal 18:00 great hailed his longevity as he celebrated his GLASGOW: Celtic will be desperate to avoid another slip-up Aljazeera Sport 1 HD Newcastle v West Brom 20:30 40th birthday yesterday while still an active Premier as they begin their Scottish Cup defence away to Hearts at League footballer. Giggs’s landmark anniversary came Tynecastle tomorrow. Neil Lennon’s side crashed out of Aljazeera Sport 1 HD just two days after his key role in United’s Champions Europe on Tuesday following their 3-0 Champions League ITALIAN LEAGUE defeat to AC Milan at Parkhead, and the Hoops also suffered League thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen and was the latest an embarrassing defeat to Championship side Morton to exit Parma v Bologna 20:00 chapter in an extraordinary one-club career that saw him Aljazeera Sport 3 HD the League Cup at the first hurdle earlier this season. It leaves make his first-team debut as a 17-year-old in 1991. “What the Glasgow giants with just the Scottish Premiership and Genoa v Torino 22:45 Aljazeera Sport 3 HD Ryan is doing now is absolutely incredible,” former Scottish Cup to play for between now and the end of the United and England full-back Gary Neville told Talksport campaign and ‘keeper is keen to use the fourth SPANISH LEAGUE Radio. round match against Hearts to bounce back from their European disappointment and erase the painful memory of Elche v Atletico de Madrid 18:00 “If you didn’t know he was Ryan Giggs, you didn’t Morton. “We let ourselves down in the League Cup and we Aljazeera Sport 2 HD know his age and you just watched the game (against can’t afford any more slip-ups like that,” Forster said. Celta de Vigo v Almeria 20:00 Leverkusen), you could argue he was 25,” he added as he “Tynecastle is a tough place to go and get a result at but Aljazeera Sport 4 HD reflected on the Welshman’s contribution to a 5-0 win Real Madrid v Real Valladolid 22:00 it’s important that we progress in the cup. “We want to win over the German club. “It was staggering to watch. I felt as many competitions as possible, so it’s a big game for us, Aljazeera Sport 2 HD Espanyol v Real Sociedad 0:00 he was the best player on the pitch. “He was the differ- and one that Hearts will be doing their best to win as well. “It ence for United from what was a difficult game for them will be important that we go into the game fully focused and Aljazeera Sport +4 against Cardiff tomorrow to what was a really refreshing knowing what we need to do.” Meanwhile, Hearts manager GERMAN LEAGUE Gary Locke admitted that a win over the Hoops would give performance (against Leverkusen), where they passed the financially-stricken club a boost on and off the field. The Hertha v Augsburg 17:30 the ball forwards through midfield. Jambos languish at the bottom of the Premiership table after Dubai Sport “You think of those types of things in the 1950s and Bayer 04 v Nuremberg 17:30 they were docked 15 points for entering administration. 60s when you hear of players like Stanley Matthews play- A win would ensure much-needed extra revenue for the Dubai Sports Bayern v Eintr Braunschweig 17:30 ing into their 40 and 50s, but you would never think it Edinburgh side and Locke is desperate for his side, who won would happen in the modern game. “You think maybe a the cup in 2012, to progress. “There’s no doubt that we could Dubai Sport have had an easier tie, but it is what it is and we’re all looking Hoffenheim v Werder Bremen 17:30 defender or goalkeeper could play on, but a winger, who forward to the game,” the Hearts manager said. “A run in the Dubai Sport DH has played from the age of 16, 17 to the age of 40 and Scottish Cup would be a huge bonus for everyone involved FSV Mainz v 17:30 has adapted his game and is still looking like he can beat with the club and, financially, it probably couldn’t have been Dubai Sports 4 a player, it is brilliant.” Steve Bruce, now the manager of any better for us. “It’s a home game which I am sure will be Schalke 04 v Stuttgart 20:30 Dubai Sport Premier League Hull City, was one of United’s senior play- played out in front of a really big crowd and, with the way ers when Giggs was making his way in the first team. things have been for the club recently, it is a bit of a money- FRENCH LEAGUE And the former United captain was convinced no play- spinner.” Fallen giants Rangers will get the chance to reach the last Saint Etienne v Stade Reims 17:00 er in future would enjoy anything like as long a top-flight 16 of the competition when they travel to take on Aljazeera Sport +4 career as Giggs. “In my opinion there’ll never be some- Championship side Falkirk today. The Ibrox side are currently AS Monaco v Stade Rennes 19:00 body else who will play at that level from the age of 17 to cruising towards the League One title, having won all of their Aljazeera Sport 5 HD 40,” said Bruce. “It’s quite unbelievable. He’s still as fit as a Lorient v Nice 22:00 13 matches so far. flea, he’s still got the hunger and desire and he just However, manager Ally McCoist says his side will face a Aljazeera Sport +2 Toulouse v Sochaux 22:00 enjoys playing football so much. “He made his debut at sterner test from Falkirk in their fourth-round tie. “They 17 and to still be playing now is quite remarkable. “We knocked us out of the League Cup a couple of seasons ago Aljazeera Sport +1 talk about money in the game too often but that’s never and are doing well in the league just now,” he said. “They are Valenciennes v Lille 22:00 looking forward to the Rangers game and they’re looking to Aljazeera Sport 5 HD fazed him. He just wants to be the best player. “He’s put one over on us again.—AFP Guingamp v Nantes 22:00 blessed with a natural ability to move and run. He’s a Aljazeera Sport 4 HD wonderful athlete.”— AFP

EPL Preview Mertesacker warns Arsenal’s title rivals

LONDON: Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker has warned his his head is going down, but we said at half-time that we do scoring Manchester City will look to continue their goal side’s Premier League title rivals the best is still to come not care about the missed penalty. We just go on and that is spree when they meet at Eastlands. from star Mesut Ozil. Arsene Wenger’s side head what he did.” Manuel Pellegrini’s fourth placed team have scored 22 to Cardiff today looking to extend their lead at the top of Tomorrow, Liverpool will look to keep pace with Arsenal goals in their last four home matches, but French midfielder the table before the rest of the title challengers play tomor- when they visit the KC Stadium and Reds midfielder Jordan has warned his team-mates to focus on defense row. A win would move the Gunners seven points clear of Henderson knows his team are under pressure to take as well after a sloppy Champions League showing in a 4-2 second placed Liverpool, who face Hull 24 hours later, and advantage of a relatively easy run of fixtures. After facing win over Czech minnows Viktoria Plzen. “We are scoring a Mertesacker is confident they will do just that if Ozil is at his Hull, Brendan Rodgers’ team play Norwich and West Ham lot of goals but we cannot score four goals every game,” best in Arsenal’s first league fixture at Cardiff since 1961. and Henderson said: “We are second in the league and we Nasri said. “We need to improve how we defend as a team.” After a brilliant start to life in England following his club have to make sure we continue in the way we have started Also tomorrow, champions Manchester United will travel to record £42 million move from Real Madrid on transfer dead- the season. “We have had a couple of difficult away games. I Tottenham for a clash between two teams who have under- line day, Ozil has produced a few under-whelming displays think we’re doing okay but we can still improve and keep achieved so far this season. of late. He missed a penalty in Tuesday’s Champions League pushing on.” United are seven points behind Arsenal after slipping up win over Marseille, but rebounded to provide an assist for Third placed Chelsea, behind Liverpool on goals scored, against a series of supposedly inferior opponents, including Jack Wilshere to score Arsenal’s second goal and host Southampton, with Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta a 2-2 draw at Cardiff last weekend. David Moyes’ men Mertesacker believes Ozil will quickly silence any critics. admitting Jose Mourinho’s team need to bounce back from looked more like their dominant selves in a 5-0 rout of Bayer “Mesut has made good progress,” Mertesacker said. “He a lacklustre display in their midweek loss at Basel in the Leverkusen on Wednesday and they will expect to keep the was always a threat against Marseille and he never gave up Champions League. “Sometimes it happens,” Azpilicueta pressure on Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas, with after the penalty that he missed. “We are delighted with added. “One day you play really well, three days later really some reports claiming he is in danger of being sacked after him, especially in the transition from defence to offence, bad. “We don’t want to have this kind of movement in our a 6-0 thrashing at City on Sunday left them languishing in when he is always a threat. “He can play the balls, he is the performance because it’s important to keep your balance, to ninth place. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace’s new manager Tony one who always goes deep all of the time. He is in good play well every day. “Sometimes we don’t keep the level to Pulis starts his reign with a crucial trip to fellow strugglers form and I think we will see more. “Sometimes he looks like win every game. For Chelsea that cannot be possible.” Free- Norwich. — AFP