TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2016 SPORTS

UEFA Champions League Tables

UEFA Champions League group tables ahead of this week’s final round of matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):

Group A Paris SG 5 3 2 0 11 5 11 - qualified Arsenal 5 3 2 0 14 5 11 - qualified Ludogorets 5 0 2 3 4 13 2 Basel 5 0 2 3 2 8 2

Group B Napoli 5 2 2 1 9 7 8 Benfica 5 2 2 1 9 8 8 Besiktas 5 1 4 0 9 8 7 Dynamo Kiev 5 0 2 3 2 6 2

Group C Barcelona 5 4 0 1 16 4 12 - qualified Manchester City 5 2 2 1 11 9 8 - qualified Moenchengladbach 5 1 2 2 5 8 5 Celtic 5 0 2 3 4 15 2

Group D Atletico Madrid 5 5 0 0 7 1 15 - qualified Bayern Munich 5 3 0 2 13 6 9 - qualified Rostov 5 1 1 3 6 12 4 PSV Eindhoven 5 0 1 4 4 11 1

Group E Monaco 5 3 2 0 9 4 11 - qualified Bayer Leverkusen 5 1 4 0 5 4 7 - qualified Tottenham 5 1 1 3 3 5 4 CSKA Moscow 5 0 3 2 4 8 3

Group F Dortmund 5 4 1 0 19 7 13 - qualified Real Madrid 5 3 2 0 14 8 11 - qualified NAPOLI: Napoli’s defender from France Kalidou Koulibaly (L), Napoli’s defender from Romania Vlad Chiriches (2ndL), Napoli’s defender from Sporting Lisbon 5 1 0 4 5 7 3 (2nd R) and Napoli’s defender from Spain Raul Albiol during a training session on the eve of the UEFA Champions Legia Warsaw 5 0 1 4 8 24 1 League football match SL Benfica vs SSC Napoli yesterday at the SSC Napoli training ground. — AFP

Group G Leicester 5 4 1 0 7 1 13 - qualified FC Porto 5 2 2 1 4 3 8 Napoli, Benfica, Besiktas FC Copenhagen 5 1 3 1 5 2 6 Club Brugge 5 0 0 5 2 12 0

Group H battle for last 16 slots Juventus 5 3 2 0 9 2 11 - qualified Sevilla 5 3 1 1 7 3 10 Lyon 5 2 1 2 5 3 7 PARIS: As Paris Saint-Germain joust with Anderson Talisca and Caner Erkin are on the Dinamo Zagreb 5 0 0 5 0 13 0 Arsenal for top spot in their group, Napoli, treatment table and set to miss out. Benfica and Besiktas will battle it out today for last 16 Champions League slots. The winner of Benfica-Napoli in Lisbon will Matches on TV The Group B trio all have everything to play qualify as group winners, while a draw would be (Local Timings) misery for in their final pool games as the only one of enough to send the latter through given their the eight first phase groups where no side has head-to-head edge. If Besiktas lose, both will UEFA Champions League for Toure, Mahrez, Mane yet secured a berth. progress regardless. Whereas Benfica warmed Portugal’s Benfica, European champions up for the game by losing their unbeaten record Paris Saint v Ludogorets 22:45 back in 1961 and 1962 in their halcyon days but in Portugal in slumping to unheralded Maritimo beIN SPORTS 6 HD JOHANNESBURG: African stars Yaya Toure Dortmund’s 4-1 win at home to Borussia who have underachieved since, should have at the weekend, Napoli broke back into the top of Manchester City, of Moenchengladbach, which left him as the Basel v Arsenal 22:45 secured their passage on matchday five but four in when Slovakia Marek beIN SPORTS 7 HD Leicester City and Sadio Mane of Liverpool Bundesliga’s top scorer with 15 goals this threw away a three-goal lead at Besiktas. That Hamsik moved to within 11 goals of Diego suffered English Premier League misery at season. After Gladbach took an early lead, Benfica v Napoli 22:45 Turkish comeback, rekindling memories of Maradona’s record haul of 115 goals for the club beIN SPORTS 2 HD the weekend. ‘Auba’ showed great finishing to volley Liverpool’s historic 2005 Istanbul triumph, has after scoring in Friday’s 3-0 romp over Inter Ivorian Toure came off the bench as City home a seventh-minute equaliser after a Dynamo Kyiv v Besiktas 22:45 left the group outcome on a knife-edge with Milan. “As far as we’re concerned, we have to go beIN SPORTS 9 HD fell 3-1 at home to leaders Chelsea, five deft flick from Marco Reus. Reus and Besiktas knowing that a win at eliminated there looking for the win,” said Napoli coach days after he was charged with drink driv- Dembele then set up Aubameyang for his Manchester v Celtic 22:45 Dynamo Kiev will send them through. In con- . “It will be a difficult game, but it beIN SPORTS 1 HD ing. Algerian Mahrez was substituted in an second on 68 minutes to cap an outstand- trast, the final round of games pits Benfica could be two games in one. For the first 70 min- embarrassing 2-1 defeat for Leicester at ing display from Dortmund’s star-studded Barcelona v Borussia 22:45 against a Napoli side who beat them 4-2 back utes it could all be normal, then go one way or beIN SPORTS 5 HD Sunderland while Senegalese Mane scored attack. on matchday two in Italy-while Besiktas were the other in the final 20 minutes.” before being taken off as Liverpool crum- Eindhoven v Rostov 22:45 dropping home points against Kiev. Beyond the tightest group of the season, the beIN SPORTS 8 HD bled to a shock 4-3 loss at Bournemouth. SALOMON KALOU (Hertha Berlin) The Turkish side’s subsequent win in Italy final round of games is all about securing pole The Ivory Coast striker netted a 91st- Bayern Munich v Atletico 22:45 threw the group wide open and the 14-time position and a theoretically softer second round beIN SPORTS 4 HD ENGLAND minute penalty to seal Hertha Berlin’s 3-2 national champions’ refusal to surrender against draw. It’s been tight at the top throughout in YAYA TOURE (Manchester City) comeback win at 10-man Wolfsburg to Benfica means they now fancy their chances. Group A where there is nothing to choose The Ivory Coast midfielder endured a keep his side third. Strugglers Wolfsburg, Besiktas will hope that their best previous between Arsenal and PSG, both through and the competition with a perfect record as they frustrating end to a bad week as City were who are just above the relegation places, showing-a 1987 European Cup quarter-final level on points ahead of final games at Basel prepare to do the double over runners-up beaten 3-1 by title rivals Chelsea. Toure scored twice in the opening 20 minutes, appearance-will not prove a poor omen. Back and home to Ludogorets, both winless Bayern Munich. came on as a 76th-minute substitute with but goals by Marvin Plattenhardt and then, they lost 7-0 on aggregate-to Kiev. makeweights. Barcelona have already won Rostov will look to avoid defeat at PSV City trailing 2-1 and was unable to stop Alexander Esswein left Hertha level 20 min- Group C at the expense of Manchester City who Eindhoven and see their adventures carry on leaders Chelsea securing a victory that utes before the final whistle. Wolfsburg ALL AT STAKE IN LISBON nonetheless accompany the Catalan club albeit in the Europa League. moved them four points clear of Pep were reduced to 10 men for the final five Turkish daily Sabah expressed concern through regardless of what happens as City A minute’s silence will be held before all Guardiola’s team. As if that wasn’t bad minutes when Paul Seguin was sent off for Sunday about the weather in Kiev predicting host Celtic and Barca welcome Borussia matches as a mark of respect for Brazilian side enough, police confirmed that Toure had his second yellow card and when Daniel that sub-zero temperatures and snow could Moenchengladbach. Atletico Madrid won Chapecoense, whose squad was decimated by been charged with drink driving after Caligiuri fouled Plattenhardt in the area, spell “danger”. The paper added Aras Ozbiliz, Group D by a distance and are the only club in last week’s aircrash. — AFP being spotted with his alcohol level above Kalou converted the penalty for his fourth the legal limit while driving in east London league goal of the season. last week. NABY KEITA (RB Leipzig) RIYAD MAHREZ (Leicester) The Guinea international was an impos- The Algeria winger was hauled off after ing figure in the middle for Leipzig in a 2-1 73 minutes of Leicester’s dismal 2-1 defeat home win over Schalke which put them at lowly Sunderland. Reigning Premier back on top of the table, three points clear League Players’ Player of the Year Mahrez of Bayern Munich. The defensive midfielder has just one assist and three league goals was a physical presence and had several to his name this term and Leicester boss tussles with Schalke’s attacking midfielder Claudio Ranieri had threatened to drop him Max Meyer, but missed two clear chances if he didn’t improve soon. But Mahrez at the start of the second half. showed no signs of stepping up his game as Leicester’s miserable defence of the FRANCE English title hit a new low with a loss at the RYAD BOUDEBOUZ (Montpellier) team who had been bottom of the table going into the weekend. The Algerian international sealed Montpellier’s shock 3-0 win over Paris VICTOR ANICHEBE (Sunderland) Saint-Germain with his team-leading sev- The Nigeria striker was a constant dan- enth goal of the season. The 26-year-old ger to Leicester as Sunderland climbed off ran from inside his own half before drilling the bottom of the table with a 2-1 win at low into the far corner 10 minutes from the Stadium of Light. Former Everton star time as Montpellier registered just a fourth Anichebe used to his pace and power to win in 16 matches. unsettle the Leicester defence and, although he didn’t score, the 28-year-old CLINTON NJIE (Marseille) was a major factor in Sunderland’s third The Cameroon forward swept home win in their last four league games. In the Marseille’s third goal in stoppage time in a 77th minute he showed great strength to 3-0 victory at home to Nancy. Njie, 23, get away down the left before crossing to curled in a first-time effort from the edge of Duncan Watmore, whose blocked shot was the area for his second goal since joining eventually converted by Jermain Defoe for on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. Sunderland’s second goal. MANCHESTER: Former footballer and victim of abuse Andy Woodward is comforted by his family after a press conference at the launch of The MAJEED WARIS (Lorient) Offside Trust in Manchester yesterday. The Offside Trust was launched to help victims of abuse and has been created by Andy Woodward, Steve SADIO MANE (Liverpool) Ghana striker Waris scored for the third Walters and Chris Unsworth, who were all the victims of historic child abuse. — AFP (See Page 17) The winger gave an excellent game running to salvage a point for bot- individual performance at Bournemouth, tom side Lorient in a 2-2 draw at Angers. He but it wasn’t enough to stop Liverpool beat defender Vincent Manceau before Nice stay top as Marseille earn welcome win crashing to an incredible 4-3 defeat. Mane squeezing the ball past Mathieu Michel scored Liverpool’s opening goal in the 20th from a tight angle in the 66th minute. minute with a cool finish from Emre Can’s PARIS: Nice held top spot in France with a 3-0 “We’ll arrive in Paris next week with a four- points behind leaders Nice. Rennes moved up pass. He then played a role in Liverpool’s win at home against Toulouse on Sunday as point lead,” said the Brazilian defender. “There to fourth as second-half goals from Paul- ITALY second goal by winning possession in mid- Marseille claimed just a second victory in seven will be a little less pressure. But we mustn’t get Georges Ntep and Kamil Grosicki earned them a KHOUMA BABACAR (Fiorentina) field before Divock Origi’s strike. Mane was- matches by beating Nancy 3-0. carried away. Despite the defeat at Montpellier, 2-0 win at home to Saint-Etienne. n’t finished and his superb run and cross Until the 93rd minute, Babacar was one First half goals from Alassane Plea and Paris remain a great team. We’ve got to be pre- On Saturday, Radamel Falcao scored twice as gave Can the opportunity to score of several players blamed for failing to Younes Belhanda set Nice on their way with pared to suffer in Paris.” Monaco thrashed Bastia 5-0, but PSG crashed to Liverpool’s third in the 64th minute. At that put the match to bed against Palermo in Ivorian Jean Michael Seri rounding off with his Toulouse, the only team to have beaten both a 3-0 defeat at Montpellier to lose ground in the point, Liverpool looked certain to win, but a wasteful display from a dominant ninth goal of the campaign on 65 minutes. Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain this campaign, title race. However, the action was overshad- Mane was replaced by Adam Lallana five Fiorentina. But the towering Senegalese Nice have a three-point advantage on sec- remain stuck in eighth place. Earlier Florian owed by incidents in Metz where Lyon goal- minutes later and Jurgen Klopp’s side con- made amends in style when Fiorentina ond-placed Monaco who whipped Bastia 5-0 on Thauvin struck just after half-time at the Stade keeper Anthony Lopes was taken to hospital ceded three goals in the last 14 minutes to won a corner with practically the last kick Saturday with Paris Saint-Germain four points Velodrome before fellow Premier League cast- with hearing problems after home fans targeted suffer a stunning loss. of the game. Babacar did everything in adrift of the leaders after falling 3-0 at offs Bafetimbi Gomis and Clinton Njie scored the Portugal international with firecrackers. his power to reach the ball when it was Montpellier. late goals after Benoit Pedretti was sent off for Fortunately, the 26-year-old confirmed there GERMANY floated in, keeping defenders at bay to Nice captain Dante admitted the win was a Nancy. would be no lasting damage, but Metz could PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG fire his header low and past the reach of psychological boost ahead of next weekend’s It was just a fifth win in 16 matches for face heavy sanctions from authorities including (Borussia Dortmund) Josip Posavec for a last-gasp winner in a clash with the champions at the Parc des Marseille this season as the fallen French giants forfeiting a game they had led 1-0 before it was The Gabon striker netted twice in 2-1 victory. — AFP Princes. climbed back into the top half of the table, 18 abandoned in the 31st minute. — AFP