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Home , Edinson Cavani, Francesco Totti, Gianluigi Buffon

SPORTS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014 Buffon expects two-horse italian race

MILAN: Juventus goalkeeper has added his weight to early season predic- tions that the battle for supremacy will be a two-horse race betweeen the giants and AS Roma. Ahead of this weekend’s visit to Atalanta, champions Juve remain unbeaten and Buffon has yet to concede a but the 36-year-old has taken note of Roma’s early season form. Roma are also unbeaten after four games and a 5-1 Champions League rout of CSKA two weeks ago has only served to underline their credentials on the domestic front. “Roma will be fighting for the title to the very end. They’ve now acquired a certain level of strength and confidence that comes with vic- tories and strong performances,” Buffon told reporters. “They are a stronger team now ... it’s made the league a lot more compelling.” Having missed for the start of the campaign due to a thigh injury, the Juventus midfield great is being tipped to return to too soon to be talking about the Juve match. game. Toni, who is now at his 16th senior club, With 10 goals scored so far, the Nerazzurri ’s squad in Bergamo. We play Verona at home and then Manchester hailed his fellow 37-year-old but hopes are on sizzling attacking form but coach In his absence, Juve have acquitted them- City away in the Champions League before we Verona will spoil the party. “We both have a called on his side to be more selves admirably-as seen by last week’s 1-0 head to Turin,” Garcia said after Wednesday’s lot of passion for the game and like me, Totti clinical. “If we want to challenge for the top win away to AC and their 3-0 win over win. “I’m pleased we picked up three impor- never gives up,” Toni told Radio Roma. “You places we have to be more clinical,” Mazzarri Cesena on Wednesday, when Manchester tant points... but we now we need to focus on can’t put a price on the adrenaline you get said after Wednesday’s win. Napoli, mean- United target hit a brace for the Verona.” Today’s game will also shine the from playing at the weekend and scoring while, are still reeling from Wednesday’s 3-3 hosts. Roma, who beat 2-1 away in spotlight on two giants of the Italian game in goals. These are the things we’ll miss when we draw at home to promoted Palermo, which midweek thanks to a sublime Miralem Pjanic veterans and -who retire.” Toni, however, added: “On Saturday left them in 10th and heaped further pressure freekick in the 88th minute, travel to Juventus have a combined age of 74. we have to go out and beat Roma. Last season on coach Rafael Benitez. next week for a top-of-the-table clash. Roma’s Totti, the ‘King of ’ who has scored we beat Juve, but we didn’t manage to beat Benitez’s contract expires in June, but French coach says focus is firmly 235 goals in 21 seasons, turns 38 today when Roma.” Inter’s 2-0 win over Atalanta moved speculation mounted on Thursday that club on hosting Verona on Saturday, before a the entire Olympic Stadium is likely to them up to fourth, four points behind Juve owner is already study- much-anticipated Champions League trip to applaud the Roma 10 for his sheer and Roma and a point adrift of third-placed ing alternatives with a view to a change dur- Manchester City days later. “I think it’s a bit longevity and ongoing contribution to the Udinese, who host Parma on Monday. ing the October international break. — AFP Ex-footballers seek to score points PSG seeking boost with Brazil voters in Toulouse clash SAO PAULO: More than 20 retired footballers are running in Brazil’s elections next month, trading their boots for suits and the “beautiful game” for the sometimes ugly sport of politics. From Bebeto to Romario to Ronaldo, the race has often : What a difference a win makes. read like a roster of football legends, with former stars either Paris Saint Germain’s 2-0 win away at Caen standing for office or hitting the campaign trail for their candi- in midweek not only broke a sequence of dates. Football and politics overlap in Brazil, whose reverence three draws but lifted them to second in for the sport makes it a powerful presence on the national the table and temporarily silenced the crit- scene. The link between football and democracy in the country ics. With a tantalising Champions League dates back at least as far as 1982 — three years from the end of tie against Barcelona coming up at the Parc the 1964-1985 military dictatorship-when the captains of Sao des Princes on Tuesday, the French cham- Paulo team Corinthians, the legendary Socrates and Wladimir, pions are on their travels again on turned the club into a platform to fight for the return of politi- Saturday, at Toulouse. cal freedom, launching a movement known as “Corinthian And victory could put them level on Democracy.”Since then a host of players have reinvented points with early season leaders Marseille, themselves as politicians, such as Joao Leite, a former goal- although that could all change on Sunday keeper for Atletico Mineiro in the city of who is when the leaders are in action at home to seeking his sixth term as a state legislator for Minas Gerais in high-flying Saint Etienne. the October 5 vote. Former players don’t always have the Earlier in the week, PSG coach Laurent noblest motives for going into politics, said Euclides De Freitas Blanc admitted his side had been having “a Couto, a sociologist who specializes in the role of sports in bit of a hard time”, but victory at Caen Gianluigi Buffon society at Sao Joao del Rei University. “A player who reaches steadied the nerves and provided a the end of his career is still young and chooses the path of poli- morale-boost ahead of the visit of players in the world, along with (Cristiano) past two seasons, who became the club’s tics because he knows he can make a lot of money without Barcelona. Ronaldo, (Lionel) Messi and , and 10th most prolific striker of all-time with working too much. The relationship these players have with Toulouse currently occupy 10th place, on top of that he has a nasty habit of scor- his 35th goal for the club in last week’s 3-3 politics is generally very promiscuous,” he told AFP. right in the middle of the table after a 3-0 ing against us (five goals in three match- draw with Caen. PSG are still unbeaten this win over Rennes in midweek, but can es), so it’s better we haven’t got to face season, but they drew with Ajax in POWER always be expected to put up a fight him,” Casanova grinned. Amsterdam in thir first Champions League Ex-footballers often make attractive candidates for the par- against the league’s big boys. However, Paris’ strength in depth group game. That places added impor- ties that adopt them, their star power drawing voters to the As coach Alain Casanova said on showed as the Brazilian midfield pair of tance on the meeting with Barcelona - but polls. Brazilians tend to call both footballers and politicians by Thursday: “We know only too well that Lucas and scored the goals first they have to negotiate the trip to their first names or nicknames, as if they were family, and that they’re a lot better than we are, but over 90 which saw off Caen, even if Uruguay striker Toulouse. is how many ex-stars appear on the ballot. minutes we’re capable of getting a result. was largely shackled by the “Our level of play isn’t of the same bril- While a name such as Jose Roberto Gama de Oliveira does- “A football match is never a foregone con- home defence. liance as last year, but we are getting closer n’t stand out in Brazil, Bebeto, the name by which he is listed clusion, we have to draw on all out talents, The win, their first since early August to it, little by little,” said PSG coach Laurent on the ballot, conjures the memory of the state it’s as simple as that.” PSG will again be and first away from home this season, put Blanc. “Physically we are not at the top, but legislator’s three clutch goals for the 1994 World Cup-winning without talisman striker Zlatan PSG three points behind leaders and bitter we dug in a little more in the second half team. The same holds true for his former teammate Romario Ibrahimovic, which gives Casanova further rivals Marseille in the table. For than in the first. We still made chances.” de Souza Faria-better known as simply Romario, today a con- reason for optimism. their part, Toulouse will rely on the tomorrow sees a top-of-the-table clash as gressman and the favorite to win a Senate seat for Rio next “Ibrahimovic is the best player in this goalscoring prowess of in-form striker third-placed Saint Etienne travel to month on the Socialist Party (PSB) ticket. —AFP league, in fact, he’s one of the four best Wissam Ben Yedder, leading scorer for the Marseille. —Reuters