Vonn at the Spot-on double with Sassuolo stun super-G17 win leaders19 Inter MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2016
Top Italian female football team defies mafia-style threats Page 18
LONDON: Chelsea’s Brazilian-born Spanish striker Diego Costa (2L) shoots and scores during the FA Cup third-round football match between Chelsea and Scunthorpe United at Stamford Bridge in London yesterday. — AFP Swansea shocked in FA Cup, Chelsea through
LONDON: Premier League Swansea City fell victory. Bafetimbi Gomis pulled one back for tion by Swansea. points and Swansea are two places ahead of from Cesar Azpilicueta’s low centre. victims to the first major giant-killing of the the Welsh club, who had made 10 changes “I don’t think they underestimated us, we them on 19 points. Chelsea avoided a similar Scunthorpe were denied a consolation goal FA Cup third round yesterday when they lost from their last Premier League game, but were just on our game,” he said. Alan Curtis, embarrassment to last season’s stunning 4-2 when fullback Jordan Clarke’s fierce shot 3-2 away to League Two (fourth tier) side Oxford held on. recently appointed Swansea manager until FA Cup defeat at home to Bradford City, struck the post. “It was not an easy game,” Oxford United. “I thought the performance was outstand- the end of the season, said his much- although at times they made hard work of said Guus Hiddink, who is hoping to repeat Chelsea, fielding a near full-strength team, ing, it was always going to be a difficult changed team had been “poor” for the first their tie against another third-tier side in his feat of 2009 by winning the FA Cup as came through their home tie with League game against a Premier League side,” their hour of the game. Scunthorpe. Chelsea’s interim manager. One Scunthorpe 2-0. There were more than manager Michael Appleton told BBC Sport. “We made changes and there was a cer- Spanish international Diego Costa put The experienced Dutchman told BT Sport 50 league positions between the clubs at the Oxford, a top-flight team 30 years ago before tain amount of rustiness but I am disappoint- them ahead in the 13th minute from a cross he was particularly pleased with teenager Kassam Stadium, where Oxford came from dropping back into non-League football ed,” he told reporters. “It’s a huge setback for by Branislav Ivanovic but the visitors rallied Loftus-Cheek. “We have these youngsters behind to lead 3-1 after Ecuador internation- from 2006-10, are third in League Two, with the club. well in the second half and were furious to and I know them now after three or four al Jefferson Montero had put Swansea the top three in May due to go up. Roofe, “We’re going to have to lift everyone for be denied a penalty when Ramires appeared weeks. When it’s an option I don’t hesitate ahead. Liam Sercombe equalised from a who signed for them from West Bromwich our next game.” That match is a crucial to trip Kevin van Veen. to bring them (into the team). “If you have penalty just before halftime and two goals in Albion in the close season after a successful Premier League fixture against fellow strug- A few minutes later 19-year-old Londoner an Academy, then you must bring the 10 minutes soon after the interval from loan period, felt the triumph was down to his glers Sunderland on Wednesday. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, a halftime replacement young players. But they must go to a certain Kemar Roofe put the home side in sight of team’s efforts rather than any lack of applica- Sunderland are bottom but one with 15 for Oscar, scored his first goal for the club level.” — Reuters
Late Kane penalty Villarreal flying high, keeps Spurs in Cup Neville’s Valencia beaten
LONDON: Substitute Harry Kane later through Wasilewski, who MADRID: Villarreal stayed hard on the Spanish and European champions earned Tottenham Hotspur a 2-2 stole in front of Toby Alderweireld heels of the La Liga leaders when a Barcelona, 4-0 winners at home to draw at home to Leicester City at the near post to meet Leicester Cedric Bakambu double secured a 2-0 Granada on Saturday, are a point yesterday with an 89th-minute debutant Demarai Gray’s right- win at home to Sporting Gijon yester- ahead of second-placed Atletico penalty that kept his side in the sided corner with a glancing day as Gary Neville was again denied Madrid, who can recapture top spot FA Cup. header. a debut victory with Valencia in with a win at Celta later on Sunday. Spurs took an early lead Spurs were quick to get back Spain’s top flight. Marcelino said Villarreal, who spent through Christian Eriksen in the on top, but for all their posses- Villarreal occupy Spain’s fourth a season in the second division in third-round tie, before goals from sion, the only chance of note that Champions League qualification berth 2012-13 and have finished sixth the Marcin Wasilewski and half-time they created before half-time was with half the season played, the posi- past two campaigns, were “more com- substitute Shinji Okazaki put a shot from Eriksen that tion Valencia and Singapore billionaire petitive” this term. Leicester in control. Schmeichel, his Denmark team- owner Peter Lim would at the least “We have been improving all the But after Nathan Dyer was mate, fielded comfortably. have expected to be in at this stage of time since we returned to the first adjudged to have handled the Leicester manager Claudio the campaign. division,” he told a news conference. ball in the closing stages, England Ranieri made a bold change at However, yesterday’s 2-0 defeat at “I am proud of what we have striker Kane, 22, slammed home a half-time, sending on Okazaki for Real Sociedad means Neville has achieved in the first half of the sea- late spot-kick to take his central midfielder N’Golo Kante, presided over three draws and two son,” added the former Real Zaragoza Tottenham tally to 50 goals. and it paid off almost instantly. defeats in five La Liga outings, includ- and Sevilla manager. “Let’s see if we The teams now face a replay at Moments after Spurs goal- ing a 1-0 reverse at Villarreal, since he can maintain this level.” the King Power Stadium, but not keeper Michel Vorm had tipped a took over from Nuno Espirito Santo A quickfire Jonathas double at the before crossing swords again in looping header by Yohan last month. Anoeta stadium in San Sebastian the Premier League at White Hart Benalouane over the crossbar, a Congo forward Bakambu opened secured victory for Sociedad against Lane on Wednesday. pass from Andy King set Okazaki the scoring for Villarreal in the 26th Valencia in a match in which both Both teams made wholesale running into the box from the minute at the Madrigal when he sides wasted a host of chances. changes-eight for Tottenham, left. tapped in Roberto Soldado’s pass and The Basque side took the lead in seven for Leicester-and while the The Japan international flum- doubled the home side’s lead six min- the 79th minute when Jonathas bun- hosts left Kane on the bench, moxed Alderweireld with a bril- utes into the second half with a curl- dled in a deflected Carlos Martinez Jamie Vardy was absent for the liantly deceptive step-over and LONDON: Tottenham’s Eric Dier, left, competes for the ball with ing effort that went in off a post. cross and the Brazilian made it 2-0 visitors after undergoing minor although his initial effort was Leicester’s Marcin Wasilewski during the English FA Cup third Coached by Marcelino Garcia, three minutes later with a powerful groin surgery. blocked by Vorm, he followed up round soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester Villarreal are through to the last 32 of header from another Martinez centre. The game’s first opportunity, in to lash home the rebound with City at White Hart Lane in London, yesterday. — AP this season’s Europa League and play Valencia, who play Rapid Vienna in the eighth minute, yielded its first his left foot. their first leg at home to Italian side the Europa League next month, have from outside the box that nar- range effort from Bentaleb and goal. Tom Carroll set Josh Nacer Chadli twiced threat- Napoli on Feb. 18. 23 points in 10th, while Sociedad rowly missed the target. Alli lofting a header wide. Onomah scuttling into the ened to level for Spurs, heading With 39 points from 19 matches in climbed to 14th on 20 points. Tottenham manager Mauricio But with time running out, Leicester box on the left and over from Son Heung-Min’s La Liga, they are a point behind third- “It was extremely important to fin- Pochettino called for the cavalry, Dyer was penalised after Danny although his deflected shot was mishit shot and then shooting placed Real Madrid, who thrashed ish off the first half of the season with sending on Kane, Dele Alli and Rose’s attempted pass flicked off boxed away by Kasper straight at Schmeichel. Deportivo La Coruna 5-0 at the three points,” Jonathas, who has strug- Nabil Bentaleb. Initially it seemed his heel and brushed his hand, Schmeichel, Eriksen collected the But Dyer and the enterprising Bernabeu on Saturday in Zinedine gled for form since joining from Elche fate was set against Spurs, with and Kane emphatically commut- rebound and drilled home. Gray both came close to extend- Zidane’s debut as coach, and eight in July last year, told Spanish televi- Alderweireld shooting over, ed the sentence from the penalty Leicester equalised 11 minutes ing Leicester’s lead with shots points clear of Celta Vigo in fifth. sion. — Reuters Schmeichel palming away a long- spot. — AFP