Messi-Less Barca Beaten by Sevilla
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2015 SPORTS Messi-less Barca beaten by Sevilla MADRID: Barcelona’s struggles without Lionel Messi continued as second-half goals from Michael Krohn-Dehli and Vicente Iborra con- signed the European champions to a second league defeat in three games 2-1 at Sevilla. Neymar pulled a goal back from the penalty spot 16 minutes from time, but the injury-struck visitors were left to rue a host of missed oppor- tunities and some fine goalkeeping by Sergio Rico as Sevilla registered their first league win over the Catalans since 2007. Defeat leaves Barca still a point off leaders Villarreal, but they can now be passed by either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid when they face ZIMBABWE: Pakistan’s batsman Amir Yamin (right) gets one past Zimbabwe’s wicket off today. keeper Richmond Mutumbami (left) during the second game in a series of three ODI Without Messi and Andres Iniesta the pres- cricket matches. —AFP sure was on Neymar and Luis Suarez to take even more responsiblity and the former forced Rico into his first save of the afternoon with a Zimbabwe stun Pakistan low effort after just five minutes. Neymar’s runs from deep were causing Sevilla huge problems and Suarez should have done better when his to level ODI series at 1-1 shot was deflected wide by Timothee Kolodziejczak after being played in by his strike HARARE: Shoaib Malik’s brilliant fightback rookie Brian Chari and a 59-run partnership partner. was foiled by bad light as Zimbabwe beat for the fourth wicket with Chigumbura. Claudio Bravo replaced the much-criticised Pakistan by five runs on the Duckworth- “The partnership between Chamu and Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the Barca goal after Lewis method in a drama-filled second Chari set things up for us,” reflected overcoming a calf injury and was regularly test- one-day international at Harare Sports Club Chigumbura. “There was lots of pressure for ed at the other end as he saved Kevin Gameiro’s yesterday. the team and the way we went out there header before denying the Frenchman from a Malik was left stranded on 96 not out today showed good character.” narrow angle. having hauled Pakistan from 76 for six to Once Chibhabha had been caught Suarez then had a goal rightly ruled out for 256 for eight chasing 277 for victory when behind off the bowling of Wahab Riaz, offside as he raced onto another through ball the umpires took the players off the field Chigumbura put on 62 runs in six overs from Neymar. However, the Brazilian was with two overs remaining. with Sikandar Raza Butt before hitting his cleaned out by Marco Andreolli as he played the The game had earlier been delayed by a stumps to give Riaz a fourth wicket. pass to concede a free-kick on the edge of the brief rain shower, but the decision left the A tall target looked well beyond area. Neymar’s effort hit the post, rebounded off 33-year-old batsman furious as he was Pakistan when Zimbabwe’s seamers Rico’s back and somehow trickled along the line denied the opportunity to carry his team reduced them to 56 for five, and after before being hacked clear by Coke. Suarez had across the line. Graeme Cremer removed Mohammad two more chances to give Barca a half-time lead The result left the three-match series Rizwan to make that 76 for six, the game but failed to properly connect after a neat one- level ahead of Monday’s tour finale, and appeared to be up. However Malik and two with Ivan Rakitic and then saw a cute although Zimbabwe were breathing a sigh Aamer Yamin counter-attacked in a brilliant chipped effort come off the top of the crossbar. of relief after nearly letting the game slip, 111-run stand for the seventh wicket, with Sevilla, who had won just once in six league their victory represented a remarkable the pair riding their luck as Zimbabwe SPAIN: Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano (right) and Sevilla’s Fernando Llorente (left) head for the games prior to Barca’s visit, took control early in turnaround. Under pressure after being dropped a series of catches. ball during their La Liga soccer match at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium. —AP the second-half as Krohn-Dehli timed his run rolled for 128 in an embarrassing defeat on Chigumbura appeared to have settled into the box to sweep home Gameiro’s danger- Thursday, the home batsmen showed their the game once more when he had Yamin response. finally managed to squeeze the ball past Rico to ous low cross. capabilities in posting 276 for six, with strangled down the leg side for 62 and However, Barca were gifted a route back into halve the deficit. The Dane was also involved in the second six Chamu Chibhabha anchoring the innings then ran out Riaz, but Malik continued to the game 16 minutes from time when Sandro’s Sevilla had to withstand relentless pressure minutes later as his floated cross was nodded with a composed 90 and Elton Chigumbura hammer away and enjoyed the support of effort cannoned off Benoit Tremoulinas’s hand in the closing stages, but Sandro’s effort home by Iborra. Rico then pulled off a hat-trick adding the flourish with his brisk 67. Yasir Shah’s unbeaten 32 from 22 balls. and the referee pointed to the spot. against the post from Suarez’s low cross was of brilliant saves from Neymar in a two-minute After winning the toss and electing to Pakistan looked likely to get over the Neymar had missed a penalty in Messi’s the closest Luis Enrique’s men came to sal- period to prevent the visitors an instant bowl, Pakistan were left to wonder whether line with 21 needed from the final two absence against Las Palmas last weekend, but vaging a point.—AFP they had underestimated their opponents overs, but the fading light had the final say. in leaving out star performer Imad Wasim “It was a lovely game,” said Pakistan captain in order to give a debut to 30-year-old spin- Azhar Ali. “Malik and Yamin made us come ner Bilal Asif, who went wicketless as back when it looked like a one-sided game. Zimbabwe took control of the game. “Zimbabwe played really well - we could Chibhabha’s fifth half-century of the have restricted them to under 250 but they year led Zimbabwe’s much-improved played well at the end. We lost too many effort, and included a 91-run stand with wickets at the start of our innings.”—AFP SCOREBOARD HARARE: Scoreboard at the close of play for the second one-day international between Zimbabwe and Pakistan yesterday: Zimbabwe Pakistan Masakadza c Irfan b Wahab Riaz 7 Azhar b Panyangara 1 Chibhabha c Sarfraz b Wahab Riaz 90 Bilal c Chigumbura b Panyangara 0 Hafeez run out 27 Chari c Hafeez b Irfan 39 shafiq c Mutumbami b Jongwe 1 Williams c Hafeez b Wahab Riaz 10 Shoaib not out 96 Chigumbura hit wicket b Wahab 67 Sarfraz c Williams b Chibhabha 9 Sikandar c Sarfraz b Aamer Yamin 32 Rizwan c Nyumbu b Cremer 8 Mutumbami not out 14 Yamin c Mutumbami b Chigumbura 62 Wahab Riaz run out 3 Jongwe not out 4 Yasir Shah not out 32 Extras (2b, 1lb, 9w, 1nb) 13 Extras (4b, 12w, 1nb) 17 Total (6 wkts, 50 overs) 276 Total (8 wkts, 48 overs) 256 Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Masakadza), 2-118 (Chari), 3- Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Bilal Asif), 2-8 (Azhar Ali), 3-17 132 (Williams), 4-191 (Chibhabha), 5-253 (Asad Shafiq), 4-40 (Mohammad Hafeez), 5-56 (Sarfraz Ahmed), 6-76 (Mohammad Rizwan), 7- (Chigumbura), 6-267 (Sikandar Raza). 187 (Aamer Yamin), 8-193 (Wahab Riaz). GERMANY: Wolfsburg’s goalkeeper Diego Benaglio fails to halt the opening goal by Moenchengladbach’s Havard Nordtveit during the German Did not bat: G. Cremer, T. Panyangara, J. Nyumbu. Did not bat: Mohammad Irfan. Bundesliga soccer match. —AP Bowling: Mohammad Irfan 10-1-47-1, Aamer Bowling: Panyangara 9-0-44-2, Jongwe 8-1-41-1, Yamin 5-0-38-1, Wahab Riaz 10-1-63-4, Yasir Shah Williams 10-0-33-0, Chibhabha 8-0-55-1, Cremer 6-0-30-0, Bilal Asif 8-0-39-0, Azhar Ali 4-0-22-0, 1.4-0-8-1, Nyumbu 6.2-0-38-0, Chigumbura 5-0- 33-1. Gladbach return to winning ways Shoaib Malik 7-0-34-0. Result: Zimbabwe won by 5 runs (D/L method) BERLIN: Borussia Moenchengladbach bounced through French-born Senegalese international sides. back from their midweek Champions League Salif Sane. Third-placed Schalke 04, who come into the defeat against Manchester City with two second Finally, Ingolstadt defeated Eintrach Frankfurt weekend with five wins from seven outings, host half goals to sink Wolfsburg 2-0 in Bundesliga 2-0 with late goals from Pascal Gross and Stefan mid-table Cologne while Bayer Leverkusen await Gosden concerned by action yesterday. Lex to take possession of fifth spot in their first relegation-threatened Augsburg. While the big guns in Germany’s top flight are season back in the Bundesliga. On Friday, Mainz evened their record at four not in action until today, the pick of the ties was The match of the weekend, takes place at the wins and four defeats in a thrilling 3-2 victory at Arc traffic problems at Borussia-Park, where Norwegian Haavard Allianz Arena on Sunday, when three-time promoted Darmstadt.