SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 2017 SPORTS Mbappe rallies Monaco PARIS: Kylian Mbappe delivered another before Toulouse captain Issa Diop pro- crucial goal for Monaco as the Ligue 1 lead- duced a vital lunging block to deny ers fought back to defeat Toulouse 3-1 yes- Mbappe as Monaco gradually took control. terday and move three points clear at the Sweden international Toivonen had scored top. Ola Toivonen struck immediately after just once this year, but the striker capi- half-time as Toulouse threatened to derail talised on woeful defending as Jemerson Monaco’s title hopes at the Stade Louis II, fluffed an attempted clearance to steer the but Kamil Glik equalised for the home side visitors into a surprise 46th-minute lead. on 49 minutes. Monaco’s response was immediate Mbappe then struck his 14th league though, and they were level just three min- goal of a remarkable breakthrough season utes later as Polish centre-back Glik rose to to fire Monaco ahead just past the hour power in a cross from Joao Moutinho-the before Thomas Lemar sealed an eighth vic- defender notching his sixth goal this term. tory in a row. An unmarked Toivonen spurned a chance Monaco could take a huge stride to nod Toulouse ahead for a second time towards landing a first French league when he headed tamely at Subasic, while crown since 2000 on Sunday, when third- Lafont then pulled off a stunning reflex placed Nice-unbeaten at home this season- stop to thwart Falcao from close range. But host Paris Saint-Germain. The principality the 18-year-old was beaten far too easily at outfit will now turn their attention to his near post on 64 minutes as Mbappe Europe as Monaco prepare to welcome pulled the trigger from a tight angle, his Juventus in the first leg of their Champions 24th goal in all competitions handing League semi-final next Wednesday. Monaco the lead. Leonardo Jardim restored a host of reg- Lemar provided breathing space with ulars-including Mbappe, Radamel Falcao Monaco’s third on 75 minutes, the midfield- and Bernardo Silva-to the Monaco side er calmly side-footing home on the half-vol- three days after fielding a youthful line-up ley from Nabil Dirar’s floated cross to end in their midweek 5-0 French Cup semi-final Toulouse’s resistance. Falcao almost added a defeat at PSG. But Toulouse, who beat fourth as the Colombian barged his way into Monaco 3-1 in the reverse fixture, nearly the box, only to hammer the ball against the went in front when Christopher Jullien base of the post. Reigning champions PSG flashed a header narrowly wide of Danijel could return alongside Monaco at the sum- Subasic’s left-hand post. mit today, but Lucien Favre’s Nice should Toulouse goalkeeper Alban Lafont saved prove a tough proposition having lost just MADRID: Real Madrid’s Brazilian defender Marcelo (L) celebrates a goal with Real Madrid’s defender Sergio Ramos during the Spanish league from both Benjamin Mendy and Silva, twice this campaign.— AFP football match Real Madrid CF vs Valencia CF at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. — AFP Vardy strikes to haul Marcelo scores late winner Leicester to safety to rescue Real and Ronaldo tried his luck for Leicester from long range but his effort was deflected wide by Jake MADRID: Real Madrid needed another late win- West Brom 0 Livermore. Twelve minutes later Leicester ner to edge closer to the La Liga title as Marcelo needed Schmeichel at his acrobatic best to was the hero in a 2-1 home victory over Valencia Sunderland relegated tip over a header from Chris Brunt. West yesterday. Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring Brom’s ex-Leicester defender McAuley was midway through the first half but also saw a Leicester 1 then left wearing a bandage after a nasty penalty saved by spot-kick specialist Diego Alves as 10-year PL stay ends clash of heads with Yohan Benalouane. early in the second period. Former Madrid man Dani Parejo looked to have handed Valencia an SUNDERLAND: Sunderland’s 10-year stay in frustrations. the Premier League is over after Josh King’s Criticised by fans for his negative tactics WEST BROMWICH: Jamie Vardy scored the unlikely point with a stunning free-kick eight late strike gave Bournemouth a 1-0 victory and charged by the Football Association fol- goal that effectively ensured Leicester City SUICIDAL PASS minutes from time. that condemned the Black Cats to relegation lowing his crude comments to a television would remain in the Premier League as the Leicester claimed the lead two minutes Real stormed forward and needed just four yesterday. David Moyes’ side slumped out of reporter, it would be no surprise if Moyes parts outgoing champions won 1-0 away to West from half time thanks to the opportunism minutes to find the winner when Marcelo cut the English top-flight with a whimper as the company with Sunderland during the close- Bromwich Albion yesterday. England striker of their front two. Rondon played a suicidal inside and fired into the far corner. Real now latest dismal display in a wretched campaign season. With injuries ravaging his squad, Vardy’s first-half goal, his third in as many square pass which was intercepted by lead Barcelona by three points at the top of the ended with King’s winner in the 88th minute. Moyes had to make four changes to the team seasons at The Hawthorns, gave the Foxes Shinji Okazaki, who found strike partner table with four games to go for both sides. Barca, that lost at Middlesbrough on Wednesday as their first win in four league games and Vardy with a superb, first-time ball. The though, can move back to the summit of La Liga Sunderland chased a first home league win took them to 40 points, a total widely England man kept his composure to beat with victory in the Catalan derby later at since December 17. regarded as enough to avoid relegation in goalkeeper Ben Foster with a firm shot. Espanyol. Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane accept- most seasons. West Brom forced two corners in stoppage ed his side nearly paid the price for taking their OUT OF SORTS Leicester, however, had looked in dan- time but both came to nothing with the foot off the gas at 1-0. Moyes’ men desperately needed an early ger of the drop when former assistant man- second one glanced wide by Rondon. “It is true that we were in a comfort zone for goal to steady their nerves and they went ager Craig Shakespeare took over from Leicester might have doubled their lead 30 minutes, the fans were the same,” said the close when Fabio Borini’s swerving effort drew sacked title-winning boss Claudio Ranieri in two minutes into the second half when Frenchman. “After Valencia scored they started a good save from Artur Boruc. Sunderland February. As well as helping secure Albion were again undone by the pace of to push the players on once more and it was a rode their luck when King was denied the Leicester’s top-flight status, Vardy’s 10th Vardy. He tore down the left and crossed completely different match.” The Brazilian opening goal in freak circumstances as his goal in 15 games for club and country also for Okazaki, who was arriving late at the far Marcelo added: “We put our heart and soul into curling shot hit the crossbar, rebounded onto strengthened Shakespeare’s bid to land the post. But the Japanese striker could not it and showed who we are “With the fans behind a post and then bounced into the grateful manager’s job beyond the end of the sea- stretch far enough to force the ball home. us we are hard to beat here.” Zidane recalled arms of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. son. Vardy’s recent form has been in sharp Brunt had a shot charged down and eight of the side that started last weekend’s 3-2 Jermain Defoe’s failure to score since contrast to that of Midlands rivals West Claudio Yacob sent the follow-up just wide El Clasico defeat to Barcelona and had been rest- February has been instrumental in Brom, who have now failed to score in five as West Brom pressed for an equalizer. ed for a 6-2 thrashing of Deportivo la Coruna in Sunderland’s downfall and the England for- successive league games for the first time West Brom went even closer when midweek. However, the habitual first team near- ward was still out of sorts. He blazed high over in their history. Craig Dawson met a Nacer Chadli corner ly got off to the worst possible start. Captain the bar midway through the half and then, Yesterday’s match started at a frantic with a firm header but his effort took a Sergio Ramos was returning from suspension played in by Didier Ndong’s header, he pace with Leicester goalkeeper Kasper deflection and looped over. Leicester had after his 22nd career red card in the Clasico and volleyed straight at Boruc from a good posi- Schmeichel forced to make an important another opportunity to increase their his weak header allowed Santi Mina through on tion. Sunderland were just as error-prone at catch in the opening minute when advantage just before the hour mark when goal inside the first minute. the back and more poor defending let in King Salomon Rondon headed an Allan Nyom Riyad Mahrez cut in from the right but for a shot that was cleared off the line by cross back across goal. Leicester broke to fired into the side netting. James Morrison CHARACTERISTIC FASHION Donald Love just before half-time. the other end with Vardy catching Gareth then headed straight at Schmeichel from a Keylor Navas came out to block the Valencia Bournemouth wasted two chances to seal McAuley in possession to force a corner cross by substitute James McClean as the striker’s first effort before his follow-up hit the Sunderland’s fate early in the second half, with which the visitors could not turn into a hosts threw everything at Leicester in the outside of the post. Fabian Orellana also screwed Marc Pugh firing wide with an opportunistic chance. In the sixth minute, Wilfred Ndidi closing stages.— AFP a great chance wide as Valencia enjoyed the bet- ter of the early stages. However, Ronaldo pun- effort before Steve Cook headed over from Ryan ished their profligacy in characteristic fashion as he bulleted Dani Carvajal’s cross into the far cor- ner on 27 minutes. That goal took Ronaldo’s tally in league foot- ball to 367 goals to surpass legendary English striker Jimmy Greaves in Europe’s top leagues. However, even the four-time World Player of the Year struggles to beat Alves from the spot. Madrid were awarded a penalty when Luka Modric went down under slight contact from Parejo 11 minutes into the second half. And for the third time in four penalties against Alves, Ronaldo was denied by the Brazilian. Ronaldo then missed an even easier chance as he bundled over and then crashed into the goal- post from Marco Asensio’s enticing cross. At the other end Navas’s search for a clean sheet contin- ues as for the 15th straight game the Costa Rica international was beaten, this time by Parejo’s dip- ping free-kick to set up a grandstand finish. Yet, for the seventh time in La Liga this season, Madrid struck late to maintain the upper hand in the title race as Marcelo used his weaker right foot to fire across and past the helpless Alves to joyous scenes of relief at the Bernabeu. Earlier, Adrian Ramos scored Granada’s first goal under interim boss Tony Adams but a 2-1 defeat at Real Sociedad WEST BROMWICH: Leicester City’s English striker Jamie Vardy (R) vies with West relegated them after a six-year stay in the top SUNDERLAND: Sunderland’s Wahbi Khazri, left, and Sunderland’s Jermain Defoe show Bromwich Albion’s Northern Irish defender Jonny Evans during the English Premier flight. Granada have now lost all four games since their dejection as their side concede during their English Premier League soccer match League football match between West Bromwich Albion and Leicester City at The Adams replaced the sacked Lucas Alvarez and face against AFC Bournemouth at the Stadium of Light. — AP Hawthorns stadium. — AFP Real Madrid next weekend. —AFP Sharapova falls on doping comeback

STUTTGART: Maria Sharapova lost in the semi- Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome tournaments. three break points, as her superbly weighted finals in Stuttgart yesterday, her controversial Having started her comeback with a world drop shot wrong-footed Sharapova. The French comeback from a 15-month doping ban ending ranking of zero on Wednesday, due to her ban, player then took the second set, which lasted 64 in defeat to one of her biggest critics. Sharapova, reaching the semi-final means Sharapova has minutes, breaking Sharapova by converting her a five-time Grand Slam winner and former world already moved up to 260th in the world. She will first set point. The deciding set followed serve number one, lost 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Kristina learn on May 16 whether she will be given a wild until 3-3, but Sharapova had to hold her nerve, Mladenovic as the Russian exited her first tour- card for the main draw at Roland Garros. defending a break point at 40-30 down in the nament back from a ban after testing positive Sharapova made light work of Mladenovic in the fourth game with a ferociously hit ace and a fist for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open. first set, which lasted just 35 minutes. But pump. Mladenovic seized the advantage by con- “She’s a tough player and was very aggressive Mladenovic, ranked 19th in the world, rallied verting her fourth break point and then came from the first ball,” said France’s Mladenovic after superbly at 2-0 down in the second, holding her from 40-0 down in the seventh game to take a their titanic duel over two hours, 38 minutes. “I serve and breaking Sharapova in what turned commanding 5-2 lead. Sharapova rallied to pull was struggling early on, but just stuck in there into a battle of nerves. it back to 5-4, but Mladenovic was not to be and fought, so I am very happy that it paid off.” Mladenovic showed the first signs of cracking denied her first win over the Russian and con- Mladenovic has been a vocal critic of when what should have been a simple return verted her first match point. Mladenovic will Sharapova’s return to tennis and on the eve of spiraled harmlessly off her racquet as she served now face either fourth seed Simona Halep of STUTTGART: Russia’s Maria Sharapova fails to return the ball to France’s Kristina their semi accused her of getting “extra help”, with the advantage at 5-5. But she held her com- Romania or Germany’s Laura Siegemund, a wild Mladenovic during their semi-final tennis match at the WTA Porsche Tennis having been handed wild cards to play at the posure and went 6-5 ahead, having defended card, in today’s final. — AFP Grand Prix.—AFP