sign in sign up
<<
Home , Bernardo Silva, Pizzi (footballer), Rafa Silva, Renato Sanches, William Carvalho

Friday 47 Sports Friday, November 9, 2018 Juventus fightback infuses United with belief as City derby looms

LONDON: Evoking memories of their aston- United’s centre-back Chris Smalling admitted to ishing Champions League win in 1999, Man- being in awe of Juventus, the losing Champions chester United breathed new life into a League finalists last year. stuttering season by improbably turning ’s stunning first Champions around their match against Juventus in the final League goal for the club had Juventus four min- five minutes to win 2-1. utes away from stretching their unbeaten start Not since the Nou Camp final of 1999, on ar- to the season to 15 games and booking their guably the club’s greatest-ever night, when the place in the last 16. Red Devils scored twice in stoppage time However, for all of United’s troubles so far against Bayern Munich to complete the treble, this season, they do not lack fight, as Mourinho’s have United landed such a sucker punch on one men once again hauled themselves off the can- of Europe’s true heavyweights. vas to hit back in the final stages to take a huge Turin was also the setting for United hero- step towards qualifying for the knockout phase. ics that year as Alex Ferguson’s side came Having not made a single change at Old Traf- from 2-0 down to beat Juventus 3-2 in the ford two weeks ago, Mourinho’s substitutions second leg of the semi-final. And while man- made a big impact. Unsettled by the presence ager Jose Mourinho was quick to point out the of Marouane Fellaini, Bonucci turned the ball chasm that still exists between that United vin- into his own net for United’s winner after Juan tage and his current crop, this was just the Mata’s perfectly executed free-kick brought the boost he and his side needed before facing the visitors level. relentless force of champions After overturning a 2-0 deficit against New- Manchester City on Sunday. castle to win 3-2 just before the last interna- TURIN: Juventus’ Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini (L) and Manchester United’s English mid- “When Manchester United had heroics here, tional break, fightbacks have also helped fielder Jesse Lingard go for the ball during the UEFA Champions League group H football Manchester United was the best team,” said Mourinho so far negotiate a devilishly difficult match Juventus vs Manchester United at the Allianz stadium in Turin on Wednesday. — AFP Mourinho after Wednesday’s win. “(It) is a dif- run of fixtures many believed would his last in ferent situation but it is a fantastic victory for charge. Only a 96th-minute equaliser for League this season. “I want the feeling of it own city. Defeat at the Etihad would see them us. It’s not just about the points we lost at home, Chelsea prevented another come-from-behind doesn’t matter where we go, we go to compete, fall 12 points behind the Premier League leaders it’s about the feeling of how well we played.” win against Mourinho’s former side, while and I think this is also a feeling that the Man- after just 12 games. United had been outclassed by the Italian United also won late on at Bournemouth at the chester United supporters around the world “I think it’s always good to be the outsider, champions on home soil two weeks ago, the 1- weekend after what their manager described as they want to have,” said Mourinho. so people expect bad of us and then we surprise 0 scoreline barely a reflection of their domi- a “chaotic” first-half performance. United’s failure to finish above City in any of people,” said United . nance. Mourinho talked of defenders Giorgio That never-say-die attitude will be needed the five seasons since Ferguson’s retirement has Having partied like it’s 1999, United need to dig Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci giving classes for the derby on Sunday, with City averaging been symptomatic of their slide from being one deep again and show that in 2018 they can turn at Harvard University on how to defend, while four goals a game at home in the Premier of Europe’s powerhouses to second best in their the tide against the blue half of City. — AFP

fell in the area after stubbing his toe and Hungarian ref- Jesus says ‘no eree Viktor Kassai remarkably awarded a penalty. Ronaldo still out Jesus accepted the chance and later grabbed another pressure’ despite from the spot after Silva was felled. Between the penal- of Portugal squad ties, Sterling scored a stunning goal and City wrapped up the win with a late effort from Mahrez and Jesus’s cool slow start for City injury-time lob. : Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo was left on the sidelines again as The win should put City in good heart heading into expected by Portugal coach Fernando Santos who named his squad yester- Sunday’s derby against Manchester United but Jesus day for Nations League games against Italy and Poland. LONDON: insisted he had not been feeling feels the team can still get better. “We cannot be in the Ronaldo was initially left off Portugal’s squads earlier this season as he the pressure before roaring back to form with a hat-trick comfort zone ever,” he said. “I do not like that, it does not tried to settle into life in Turin following his summer move from Real Madrid. in Manchester City’s 6-0 Champions League demolition help anyone. We have to improve a lot. Who does not But the five-time Ballon d’Or winner spent much of last month vehemently of Shakhtar Donetsk. Coming after a poor World Cup, have to improve?” — AFP denying allegations of rape. A former American model Kathryn Mayorga, 34, the Brazil striker had made an underwhelming start to the accused Ronaldo of raping her on June 13, 2009, just before he joined Real campaign, with just two goals and only six starts before Madrid from Manchester United. When asked about Ronaldo’s absence, San- Wednesday’s match. MATCHES ON TV tos said: “The only thing I can say is that he deserves winning the Ballon d’Or. The 21-year-old started to put that behind him as he LOCAL TIMING It would be a travesty if he didn’t win it. “That’s all that matters now.” Portugal netted two penalties at the Etihad Stadium and chipped face Italy in Milan on November 17 and host Poland three days later in the goalkeeper to claim his first City treble. “It was a very Guimaraes. special night for me,” said Jesus, who has been playing SPANISH LEAGUE PRIMERA second fiddle to the in-form Sergio Aguero this season Levante v Real Sociedad 23:00 Portugal squad: “I’ve been working very hard. I never enter in the beIN SPORTS HD 3 Goalkeepers: Rui Patricio (Wolverhampton/ENG), Beto (Goztepe/TUR), pitch under pressure to score goals but I know my posi- Claudio Ramos (Tondela) tion requires me to score goals. “If I am helping my team- ITALIAN CALCIO LEAGUE Defenders: Cedric Soares (Southampton/ENG), Joao Cancelo mates in some way, giving assistance, passing the ball, I’ll Frosinone Calcio v ACF Fiorentina 22:30 (Juventus/ITA), Jose Fonte (Lille/FRA), Luis Neto (Zenit Saint- already be very happy but, of course, in my position I beIN SPORTS HD 4 Petersburg/RUS), Pepe (Besiktas/TUR), Ruben Dias (Benfica), Mario Rui have to score.” (Napoli/ITA), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund/GER) Jesus dedicated his hat-trick to his mother, who was GERMAN : Andre Gomes (Everton/ENG), (Sporting at the game. City proved far too strong for the Ukraini- Hannover 96 v VfL Wolfsburg 22:30 Lisbon), Danilo Pereira (FC Porto), Joao Mario (/ITA), (Ben- ans, overpowering them for a second time in a fortnight beIN SPORTS HD 5 fica), (Bayern Munich/GER), Ruben Neves (Wolverhamp- to take command of Group F and move closer to qualifi- ton/ENG), (/ESP) cation for the last 16. FRENCH LEAGUE Forwards: (Manchester City/ENG), Bruma (RB They were aided by a huge slice of luck for their sec- LOSC Lille v RC Strasbourg 22:45 Leipzig/GER), Goncalo Guedes (Valencia/ESP), (Benfica), Andre ond goal, however, after had given them an beIN SPORTS HD 6 Silva (Sevilla/ESP), Eder (Lokomotiv Moscow/RUS). — AFP early lead. was unchallenged when he