TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017 SPORTS

PREVIEW Refreshed Barca seek to continue Cup dominance

MADRID: Holders Barcelona have a whole squad,” said Barca boss Luis Busquets are close to returning from magic nights on Tuesday,” said the for- delicately poised at 0-0 between Alaves fourth consecutive Copa del Rey final in Enrique with his side going for a second hamstring and ankle injuries respective- mer Liverpool and Chelsea striker. and Celta Vigo. Celta had the weekend sight when Atletico Madrid visit the treble of league, Cup and Champions ly. Atletico were a team transformed in However, the size of the task awaiting off as their La Liga clash with Real Camp Nou today with the daunting task League in three years. the second-half of the first leg as they Diego Simeone’s men is underlined by Madrid was postponed after high winds over overturning a 2-1 semi-final, first One key member of the Barca squad roared back into the tie after the intro- the fact Torres scored twice the last time caused structural damage to their leg deficit. will be missing for Atletico’s visit, duction of Fernando Torres at the break. they won at the Camp Nou during in his Balaidos stadium. Stunning solo goals from Luis Suarez though, as Neymar is suspended. Antoine Griezmann halved the first spell at the club in 2006. Alaves even made a petition to the and Lionel Messi put Barca well in com- Messi will also have to be careful as a arrears, whilst Torres and Kevin Gameiro Atletico will also be without suspend- Spanish Football Federation to have the mand of the tie before half-time at the yellow card would rule him out of the all came close to levelling near the end. ed captain Gabi. second leg postponed, claiming Celta’s Vicente Calderon tomorrow. final should Barca advance. Torres’s impact continued as he Defender Lucas Hernandez returned extra time to prepare handed them an And both are well-rested for the The hosts are also likely to also be scored his first La Liga goals since to training on Sunday after he was unfair advantage. return as Suarez sat out Saturday’s 3-0 without Gerard Pique and Rafinha. Pique September with a double in Saturday’s arrested in the early hours of Friday The Basques, though, have home win over Athletic Bilbao, whilst Messi came off at half-time after picking up a 2-0 win over Leganes. morning on suspicion of domestic vio- advantage and are full of confidence took a rare break for the final 25 minutes groin strain, whilst Rafinha broke his “We know the game on Tuesday will lence. However, the Frenchman is after virtually securing their place in the after netting his 31st goal of the season. nose in a collision with Barca ‘keeper be extremely difficult, but it is in the unlikely to be involved in Simeone’s top flight for next season with a 4-2 win “It is important to realise that to Marc-Andre ter Stegen at the weekend. hard games where our pride comes out squad. at Sporting Gijon on Sunday despite reach our three objectives we need the However, Andres Iniesta and Sergio and we hope to experience one of those Tomorrow’s other semi-final is more resting a swathe of key players. — AFP Saint-Etienne beat Lyon in fiery derby

PARIS: Saint-Etienne inflicted a third ly defensive blunder from Emanuel league defeat in four matches on faltering Mammana proved fatal for Lyon as Saint- bitter rivals Lyon and bolstered their Etienne won back possession on the edge European aspirations with a 2-0 victory in of the area with Monnet-Paquet firing Sunday’s tempestuous Rhone derby. Kevin through the legs of Anthony Lopes. Monnet-Paquet scored a ninth-minute Tolisso headed against the crossbar opener at Saint-Etienne’s Stade Geoffroy after he was left unmarked from a Nabil Guichard and Romain Hamouma slotted in Fekir cross, but a rash decision from Lopes a second on 22 minutes as Les Verts closed resulted in the hosts grabbing a second to within a point of fourth-placed Lyon. goal shortly after. The visitors finished with nine men as sub- The Lyon goalkeeper raced out of his stitute Rachid Ghezzal and Corentin Tolisso box to try and cut out a through ball but were dismissed in stoppage time to further lost out to Hamouma, who calmly skipped sour a dreadful evening for Lyon. round the Portugal international to double “It was a negative result and the behav- Saint-Etienne’s lead. iour was unworthy of a derby notably in With the visitors heading towards a third the first half,” complained Lyon coach Bruno straight loss to Saint-Etienne at Le Genesio of the fiery clash. “All defeats are Chaudron (The Cauldron), Lyon capitulated difficult but it’s even harder to swallow in a in the closing stages as Ghezzal picked up derby because pride is at stake.” two yellow cards in quick succession before Saint-Etienne, who face Manchester Tolisso saw red for a wild lunge at Fabien United in the Europa League last 32 this Lemoine. On Saturday, Monaco moved month, have won three games in a row in three points clear at the top of the table Ligue 1, while Lyon’s Champions League with a 3-0 victory over title rivals Nice. hopes look doomed after falling 12 points Valere Germain opened the scoring at behind the top three. “This was surely our the Stade Louis II before Radamel Falcao best start since the beginning of the season struck twice as Nice lost for just the second and just what was needed in a derby,” said time this season. Paris Saint-Germain Saint-Etienne coach Christophe Galtier. climbed above Nice into second on goal “There was a lot of determination, with a difference after winning 3-1 at Dijon. collective force. The players really went Lucas struck first in Dijon, but the hosts after this victory.” equalised just two minutes later through Both sides suffered French Cup last-32 Julio Tavares. Thiago Silva then bundled in exits in midweek, although Lyon were from a corner on 81 minutes, while Edinson boosted by the return from injury of lead- Cavani grabbed his 22nd goal of the cam- ing scorer Alexandre Lacazette. But an ear- paign to secure victory. — AFP TURIN: Inter Milan’s Argentinian forward Mauro Icardi from (c) falls as he vies for the ball with Juventus’ Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci (l) and Juventus’ Swiss defender Stephan Lichtsteiner during the Italian Serie A football match between Juventus and Inter Milan on Sunday at the Juventus Stadium in Turin.— AFP

Deeney — from jail to SOCCER Premier League riches LONDON: Watford striker Troy Deeney’s turned when Watford gained automatic Cuadrado sends Juve “light bulb” moment came when the cell promotion to the Premier League in the door slammed and he contemplated a 10- 2014/15 season. month jail term for affray five years ago, he “I just cried,” admits Deeney. “I remem- told AFP. ber I found out on the bus that we got pro- The 28-year-old, locked up for assaulting moted as other results went our way-every- six points clear a student outside a pub, entered prison one went crazy.” with words from his mother ringing in his He added: “I always wanted to be a foot- ears-that it was at times like that she baller and always liked the idea of playing wished he had not been born. in the Premier League. I had played in ROME: Juan Cuadrado broke his Serie A duck header a metre wide. Icardi then glanced a Brozovic and Eder came on for an ineffective But Deeney rebuilt his life and his career League One (the third tier) with Walsall, for the season with a sensational strike that shot wide Buffon’s far post after a great Perisic Antonio Candreva on the hour and the extra then the Championship. sent Juventus six points clear of Napoli thanks delivery from the left, but Juve came fighting legs provided Inter with an initial spur. “My dad and granddad would be so to a 1-0 win over Inter Milan on Sunday. Title back. Miralem Pjanic’s sublime free kick had Yet Inter ran out of steam and were thank- proud. I rang my wife (Stacey and mother hopefuls Roma, currently third at seven points Handanovic in a flap to save at the crossbar, ful to Handanovic for blocking Higuain’s drive of their two children, Myles and Amelia) behind, can move back up to second place but the hosts’ persistence paid off when after he turned on Dybala’s pass in the area. and said I’m going there to his graveside. with a win over Fiorentina in their delayed Cuadrado pounced on a poor clearance to fire Eder went on the counter, but with options “However, at 6 in the evening it was shut game today. through several bodies from 25 yards out and open nearby the Italy striker wasted the so I went out with the team. “Then the next But the Giallorossi, still reeling from a 3-2 beat Handanovic at his near post. chance when he got caught in traffic. morning I went with a thermos of tea to defeat to Sampdoria last week, are now under Juve should have doubled their lead eight At the final corner Handanovic ran upfield the cemetery and had a cup of tea and sat huge pressure not to drop further points fol- minutes after the restart but Handanovic pro- but the ‘keeper earned a caution for his clum- there talking to his gravestone.” lowing another defiant display from the 32- duced a spectacular parry to deny Bosnian sy effort and Inter’s frustration was completed Deeney, who has set up his own founda- time champions in Turin. Pjanic at the near post. when Perisic saw red in the fourth and final tion to help seriously ill children and dis- Inter travelled west hoping to build on a Geoffrey Kondogbia replaced Marcelo minute of added-on time. — AFP tributes football kit to youngsters on the superb spell of form that has seen Stefano tough estate where he once lived in Pioli’s men claim 25 points from their last 10 Birmingham, says he has used his prison games. experience to advise young offenders. But poor finishing and dogged Juve “I would probably stay away from talk- Hamsik chases Maradona defending kept Inter at bay in a promising Troy Deeney ing in prisons because I had a career going in and I had one going out,” said Deeney, first half before Cuadrado put a smile on record, Real date looms and two years after he was released having who invited two of the prison guards to the coach Massimiliano Allegri’s face with a slight- served three months, he was appointed Championship play-off final in 2014 as a ly-deflected shot that beat Samir Handanovic Watford captain, a role he retains to this way of thanking them for encouraging him at his top corner on 45 minutes. ROME: Marek Hamsik says he remains in en less than Serie A’s surprising new lead- day. “The light bulb moment for me came to go to the prison gym and keep fit. Juve held on amid an at times bad-tem- awe of Argentina legend Diego Maradona ing scorer Mertens-and 15 games remain- when the door closed and my real world “I can’t resonate with a lot of people pered second half, Ivan Perisic seeing red in but the Slovakia midfielder won’t hold back ing in the league Hamsik should have time had stopped,” Deeney, who lost his father there as there are a lot who have lived on the final minute, to secure an 18th win that as the former Napoli hero’s 115-goal club to finish his season on a personal high. just before the attack which sent him to that same road (crime) and once they are kept them on course for a record-setting sixth record comes into sight. But for the 29-year-old Napoli’s title prison, told AFP. “It was survival mode after out they go back to doing the same thing. consecutive title. Inter, chasing a coveted Hamsik and Dries Mertens struck memo- push takes priority: “It was crucial for us to that. People will go ‘right yeah survival “Driving out there in a Range Rover Champions League place, remain fifth at 12 rable hat-tricks in a 7-1 rout at Bologna on win, especially after our (1-1) slip-up at mode’ and say that’s a bit drastic but it was probably doesn’t sit well with them,” added points adrift and five points behind Roma. Saturday as Napoli boosted their hopes of Palermo last week. “We wanted to score as that. “All my feelings and emotions cut off Deeney, who nevertheless stays in touch Juventus threatened from the start, Swiss a first title since Maradona inspired the many goals as possible. We started really as I said to myself ‘you’ve got to get with two of the inmates he considers midfielder Stephan Lichtsteiner allowed to southerners to the second of their two well, in six minutes we’d already made the through this next few months’. friends. Deeney spoke to AFP after speak- waltz into the area to deliver a cross that titles in 1990. The Slovakian international’s difference.” Napoli are the most prolific “I didn’t have enough time to sulk or cry ing at Sport Industry NextGen in partner- found the head of Mario Mandzukic. first Serie A hat-trick took his Napoli tally to scorers in Serie A, banging in 55 goals in 23 and do all the things you would think are ship with Barclays. — AFP The Croat headed on for Paulo Dybala to 111 goals in nine seasons, only four short games And coach Maurizio Sarri hasn’t natural reactions. hit a spectacular overhead kick that forced of the record Maradona set during a suc- even welcomed Arkadiusz Milik back yet. “If my mum died now I’d be a mess. I’d Handanovic into a two-handed block. cessful but controversial spell in 1984-1991. The Polish striker hit four league goals in be crying all over the place and drinking Dybala was one of three Argentinians, The big win, with Mertens grabbing his a handful of opening league games before loads of beer like everyone else would. I Matches on TV along with Juve striker Gonzalo Higuain and third hat-trick of the season, left Napoli six succumbing to a cruciate knee ligament didn’t have that luxury.” (Local Timings) points shy of leaders Juventus after the injury while on international duty last Deeney said incarceration transformed Inter striker Mauro Icardi, being watched in Turin giants’ 1-0 win over Inter Milan. October. He is being primed to return in him for the better. “I always knew I would Turin by national team coach Edgardo Bauza. SPAIN COPA DEL come out better but it was about how I When the Juve playmaker pounced on a But Napoli are up to second and morale time for the daunting trip to Real next Barcelona v Atletico de Madrid 23:00 loose ball soon after, he curled a shot over is high a week before the Italians face Real week. “What a game! I can’t wait to play went about doing it,” said Deeney. beIN SPORTS “Part of the course was alcohol depend- Handanovic that came off the crossbar. Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu for the against Genoa,” Milik wrote on Facebook. ency which was compulsory if I was to be ITALIAN CALCIO LEAGUE first leg of their Champions League last-16 Napoli are now unbeaten in 12 consecu- eligible for a tag (to wear on early release). Roma v Fiorentina 22:45 RUMBLED tie. Maradona’s name remains inextricably tive Serie A games and 17 matches in all “I got into speaking, I used to be closed and beIN SPORTS 4 HD Inter were rumbled, and finally moved up a linked to Napoli but Hamsik will not let competitions. But for Naples-born former have a lot of anger in me, at the group ses- gear but Roberto Gagliardini fired just over on sentiment get in the way as he eyes the Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro, who sions. “I still speak to a psychologist. People FRENCH LEAGUE the volley and Joao Mario drilled inches wide great Argentine’s 25-year-old record. played for Napoli at the start of his career feel sorry for themselves and think the Montpellier v Monaco 21:00 of Gianluigi Buffon’s post as the relieved “It was my first hat-trick in Serie A and before spending three seasons with Real in world owes them something and then you beIN SPORTS Caen v Bordeaux 21:00 ‘keeper looked on. I’m delighted,” Hamsik, who sports a mohi- 2006-2009, they will soon face the acid test. realise it’s not that bad.” beIN SPORTS Perisic then turned provider for Gagliardini can style haircut and numerous body tat- “Napoli’s visit to the Bernabeu will be a Deeney, now teetotal, was particularly Paris Saint v Lille 23:00 to head straight at Buffon, who was alert to toos, said. “Maradona is unique, there are test of their maturity,” Cannavaro told La close to the man he called his father, Paul beIN SPORTS Perisic’s header from seven yards out no players like him, but I want to overtake Gazzetta dello Sport. “No one can question Anthony Burke-his biological father left moments later. his record. I could target it this year but if Real’s international pedigree but it will be home early on. He has a tattoo which bears ENGLISH CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE not I will target it in the future.” interesting to see how Napoli’s game Wigan Athletic v Norwich 22:45 Juve went on the counter and a galloping Burke’s date of birth and death. Mandzukic stole in behind Jeison Murillo to With nine goals in 23 appearances-sev- stands up.” —AFP It was to Burke that Deeney’s thoughts beIN SPORTS meet a cross on the bounce and send a diving