SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2013 SPORTS Bayern equal record with Hoffenheim win

BERLIN: Bayern Munich equalled the record for the longest unbeaten run in the history of the Bundesliga with a 2-1 win at Hoffenheim yesterday. The hard fought result was enough to extend their remark- able record of not having lost a top-flight game in more than a year. In doing so, they have equalled the all-time Bundesliga record of 36 matches unbeaten set by Hamburg between January 1982 and January 1983. Bayern manager Pep Guardiola said: “It was a difficult win to get, but that’s always been the case for Bayern on this pitch. “It wasn’t without a doubt our best performance but we’ve won so I’m satisfied.” Bayern can go on and own the record outright by avoiding defeat against neigh- bors Augsburg next weekend. FRANCE: Rennes’ Portuguese forward Nelson Oliveira (right) vies with Marseille’s Guardiola’s side trailed at the Togolese midfielder Jacques-Alaixys Romao during the French League football Rhein-Neckar Arena in Sinsheim match. —AFP when teenage defender Niklas Suele converted in the 34th minute after Manuel Neuer made GERMANY: Bayern’s Thomas Mueller (left) scores his side’s second goal during a German First Division Marseille stop the a hash of dealing with a corner. Bundesliga soccer match against Hoffenheim. —AP However, the visitors were lev- el inside five minutes when area. Despite having Dante and son’s Champions League runners- points, three behind Dortmund. rot at Rennes Franck Ribery’s free-kick took a Javi Martinez back in their start- up coming from behind with Moenchengladbach are fourth huge deflection off Mario ing line-up, Bayern were not at Robert Lewandowski scoring a with 19 points, after a 2-0 win at PARIS: Marseille’s worrying losing five- weekend action. Rennes are two points Mandzukic to trump Koen their very best but the win hat-trick to take his personal tally Hamburg, the goals in either half match run finally came to an end at behind in seventh. Casteels in the home goal. means that they end the week- for the season to nine league coming from striker Max Kruse. Rennes yesterday in a 1-1 draw marked The Ligue 1 summit is occupied by Then Thomas Mueller secured end a point in front of Borussia goals. Down at the foot of the table by a saved penalty from Marseille cap- defending champions Paris Saint the win with quarter of an hour Dortmund at the league summit. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen SC Freiburg were toasting their tain Steve Mandanda. Germain, who moved three points clear remaining when he tucked the Dortmund tore apart Stuttgart were beaten 1-0 at struggling first success of the season, a 3-0 Rennes’s Portuguese striker Nelson of Monaco with a 4-0 rout of Lorient on ball in after a flurry of shots and with a 6-1 win at the Signal- Eintracht Braunschweig, a result win at fellow relegation strug- Oliveira put the hosts in front from 20 Friday. rebounds in the Hoffenheim Iduna Park on Friday, last sea- that leaves them third, aon 25 glers Nuremberg. —AFP metres on nine minutes, only for his The result at a rain-drenched Parc effort to be cancelled out by Jordan des Princes extended PSG’s unbeaten Ayew after quarter of an hour. league run to 23 games. The goals Preview With a lack of concentration in the came from Lucas, Jeremy Menez and Rennes defence Ayew struck right-foot- an Edinson Cavani double. EPL braced for ed from near the penalty spot for the “We scored goals, created lots of Ghana striker’s first goal in 10 months chances and kept the ball despite the Welsh derby of Ligue 1 action. difficult weather conditions,” said man- In the 73rd minute Rennes were ager Laurent Blanc. “Our philosophy for CARDIFF: The English top flight will experience the fire awarded a penalty after Kassim the game is the same whatever team and fury of a Welsh derby for the first time today when Abdallah fouled Foued Kadir. Oliveira we put out. There are players who have Cardiff City host Swansea City in the Premier League. stepped up to take the spot kick but little playing time but they always Cardiff’s promotion from the Championship in May means that there are now two teams from Wales doing his effort was denied by Marseille demonstrate their qualities.” battle among the English elite and passions are keeper Mandanda, much to the delight Yesterday’s late kick-offs include expected to run high at the Cardiff City Stadium. of the travelling fans. seven time former champions Lyon, Swansea are becoming an established Premier This stalemate, after three losses in without a win in five matches, hosting League force, finishing 11th and ninth since being pro- the league and two in the Champions Guingamp, while today Monaco can moted in 2011 and winning last season’s League Cup, league, lifted Marseille up to fifth, on draw level on points with PSG with a but they will be overtaken by Cardiff if they lose today. 18 points, ahead of the rest of the win at Lille. —AFP Located 42 miles apart on the south Wales coast, the two teams are fierce rivals and their head-to-head encounters tend to be tempestuous affairs. Preview Old wounds were reopened this week when it was Charlie Mulgrew revealed that referee Mike Dean will officiate the game, four years after he was struck on the forehead Villas-Boas warns Spurs to by a coin thrown from the stands during the same fix- Dundee denied famous ture. Cardiff manager Malky Mackay said he had no avoid more Everton woe concerns about Dean’s appointment, describing him win as Celtic snatch point as a “very good referee”, but he admits that the game LIVERPOOL: Andre Villas-Boas has side to remain in the hunt, Villas-Boas has a singular context. warned Tottenham cannot afford fur- claims the table has yet to take shape. : Celtic needed a stoppage only the second time this season while “It’s not just another game and I would be lying if I ther setbacks if they want to feature in “From eighth to first place it is very, time goal from Charlie Mulgrew to earn a Izaguirre shrugged off an injury to take said that,” he said. “I know the passion of our fans and the Premier League title race. very tight and we will see teams going 1-1 draw with Dundee United at his place at left-back. what the atmosphere in our stadium is like, but I don’t Spurs have already suffered two up and down,” added Villas-Boas. “It Parkhead in their Premiership clash yes- United had to thank for think it is going to touch the sides of what we will feel defeats this season and head to has broken a little from seventh place terday that preserved their unbeaten keeping them on level terms as he head- on Sunday. It will be an incredible atmosphere when Everton today looking to avoid a up to first now. But Manchester United start to their title defence. ed an Anthony Stokes volley off the line the players walk out. “I think it is something all our fans repeat of last season’s loss at Goodison have played all of the most difficult fix- Dundee United looked to be heading after the Irish striker had shown great have looked forward to since we were promoted and it Park. tures and can look at the calendar with for their first win at Celtic Park since technique at the edge of the box. does hold that extra special edge.” And, having seen his team narrowly a little more positivity than others.” December 1992 thanks to a first half The visitors could have gone ahead a Mackay has endured a difficult few weeks, having fail to claim a place in the Champions Meanwhile, Everton midfielder Leon strike from Stuart Armstrong. minute later when John Rankin’s deep seen his trusted head of recruitment Iain Moody dis- League last season, Tottenham manag- Osman admits Tottenham deserve However, Mulgrew popped up two delivery into the Celtic box found Brian missed and replaced by a 23-year-old Kazakh, Alisher er Villas-Boas knows his team cannot credit for the way they have per- minutes into stoppage time to head Graham whose header produced a point- Apsalyamov, with no known experience in profession- afford to throw points away again this formed without Gareth Bale following ’s cross past Radoslaw blank save from Fraser Forster. al football. Reports in the British media claim time around. “We’ve spoken about (last his departure to Real Madrid just Cierzniak to leave his side five points Balde should have done better when Apsalyamov has been asked to step down while the year’s) result as the deciding factor for before the transfer deadline. Spurs clear of Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Darnell Fisher, making only his second government investigates his visa situation, but us not making it into the Champions made a string of signings to replace who reduced the gap with a 2-1 win over appearance for Celtic, sent in a decent Swansea manager Michael Laudrup has downplayed League because everything changed the Wales forward and Osman has Kilmarnock. delivery from the right but the the significance of the off-pitch upheaval. quite dramatically,” Villas-Boas said. “It been impressed with how quickly the Celtic manager will be Portuguese striker headed over. “I don’t think I am the one capable of answering serves us as a lesson to be kept aware club have moved on after selling their impressed by his side’s never-say-die atti- Dundee United had been living dan- what is happening off the pitch at Cardiff,” said the of and it’s not something we want to star player. tude that sees them become the first gerously but took the lead against the Dane. “There can be a lot of things going on, but for see again.” Villas-Boas’ side will have to “To lose your talisman and the man Celtic team to complete the first quarter run of play in the 38th minute through the game you park everything and play the game to keep Romelu Lukaku quiet if they are who’s been regarded as the one to of a season unbeaten in a decade. Armstrong. try and win, which is much more important than what to come away with something from stop for the last few seasons and to However, their profligacy in front of Armstrong expertly collected Nadir happens off the pitch.” Goodison Park this time around. still be winning games the way they goal will cause concerns ahead of their Ciftci’s chipped pass on his chest and Laudrup’s preparations have been aided by the Lukaku has scored five goals in sev- are definitely deserves credit,” Osman midweek Champions League clash with while the Celtic defence remained static return to fitness of captain Ashley Williams, who en games since joining on loan from said. “They’ve spread their goals and Ajax. waiting for the flag to go up for offside played for 90 minutes in last weekend’s 0-0 draw with Chelsea, where he used to work under assists out throughout their team and “We were a bit flat and certainly in the the United man rounded Forster and West Ham United following a spell out with an ankle Villas-Boas. that’s all credit to the manager and final third we need to do better because then dispatched the ball high into the ligament problem. The pair enjoyed a rocky relation- their squad. we had umpteen chances and we were net. Cardiff have won just one of their last seven league ship as the Belgian was angered at “They’ve strengthened in a few sloppy,” Lennon said. A frantic finish to the half then ensued games and sit only a point above the relegation zone, being left on the sidelines during areas and they look like a very good “I’m very happy we got something out with Cierzniak doing well to deny efforts but Mackay has no new injury problems to contend Villas-Boas’ shortlived reign during the team.” Everton were pipped to a of the game that we deserved. I should from Forrest and Stokes as Celtic pressed with. Williams and Cardiff veteran Craig Bellamy are 2011-12 season. Villas-Boas insists Europa League place by Tottenham take the criticism if there is any coming to get on level terms. likely to be two of only three Welsh players to start the there is no longer any animosity and is last season and Osman believes if they as I pick the team.” Celtic poured forward in their hunt for match-alongside Cardiff left-back Neil Taylor-but impressed with how his old player has can finish above Spurs in this cam- His Dundee United counterpart Jackie an equaliser but it was United who had a Laudrup says the game’s significance will not be lost progressed. paign they will bring continental foot- McNamara was upset his players hadn’t golden chance to increase their advan- on his foreign contingent. “You cannot ask a guy from “The player did extremely well last ball back to Goodison Park. seen the victory through. “I am disap- tage in the 66th minute. Spain to understand it completely, but they have their season at West Brom and has contin- “I think if you do finish above them pointed for the players as they put a lot Ciftci, who could be banned for 16 own derbies,” he said. “We have players who played in ued to do well for Everton,” Villas-Boas this year, you’ll certainly qualify for of effort into it and they are gutted in the matches after being accused of grabbing Sevilla v Real Betis, which is a huge derby in Spain. added. Europe,” Osman added. “They’ll be dressing room. But it shows how far an assistant referee by the throat in “When they hear the word ‘derby’, they know what “The potential is there. We all recog- pushing for a minimum of the top four, they’ve come when they are disappoint- Tuesday’s League Cup defeat to it means; perhaps not exactly what it is here, but wher- nise he can become an influential strik- so if you finish above Tottenham you’ll ed to come away with just a point,” he Inverness, sent in an inviting cross from ever you are around the world there is always one er in the future. “Chelsea’s standards have had quite a good season.” said. the right but Graham made a complete thing in common: the importance to the fans.” are very, very high so the jump will be Everton manager Roberto Martinez Despite having one eye on the Ajax mess of his header and it trundled Swansea have become renowned for the quality of very difficult for him. “But he has is set to be without striker Arouna match Lennon named a strong side to straight to Forster from six yards out. their football in recent seasons, but Cardiff have histor- shown he can cope with the Premier Kone as he nurses a knee injury, while face United, who hadn’t won in their pre- Celtic laid siege to the United goal and ically enjoyed greater success than their rivals, winning League and it’s another step up for centre-back Antolin Alcaraz (ham- vious 38 attempts at Celtic Park. they made the breakthrough two min- the 1927 FA Cup and finishing second in the league in him at Everton.” Despite warning his string) is still on the sidelines.—AFP Amido Balde’s reward for netting the utes into stoppage time when Mulgrew’s 1924.—AFP winner against Partick Thistle last week- flicked a header backwards that sneaked end was a place in the starting line-up for past Cierzniak at his near post.—AFP Kuwait in second place at Int’l Shotgun Championship DOHA: Kuwaiti shooters came second at the 2nd The Italian team won the gold medal with 358 commended the results of the championship and trainers and shooters as well as the continuous International Military Sports Council’s (CISM) points; it is made up of Simona Scocchetti - silver took pride in the performance of the team mem- support and instructions of Deputy Prime International Shotgun Championship after losing medalist at the this year’s World Championship, bers notably Al-Deehani. Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Khaled to the Italians in the final of the trap competitions Daniele Resca - bronze medalist at the 2006 World He praised the close relationship between the Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah and Deputy Chief of General yesterday. The Kuwaiti team, made up of the two- Junior Championship, and Valerio Andreoni, silver Kuwaiti military institution and Kuwait Shooting Staff Lt. Gen. Staff Abdulrahman Al-Othman. time Olympic bronze medalist Col. Staff Fehaid medalist at the World Junior Championship in Club, saying that the two sides signed a protocol The championship was organized by Qatar Al-Deehani, Col. Staff Marzouq Al-Waalan and 2003. The Qatari hosts came in the third place on comprehensive cooperation. Shooting and Archery Association (QSAA) in Major Sergeant Saad Al-Mutairi, scored 352 with 346 points. Speaking to KUNA, head of the He attributed the success made by the collaboration with CISM, from October 30 yes- points. Kuwaiti mission to the event Col. Khaled Al-Enezi shooting sport to the strenuous efforts made by terday. —KUNA