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Established 1961 15 Sports Monday, December 4, 2017 Ivan Perisic hat-trick sends Inter Milan top of Serie A Inter are now league’s only unbeaten team after 15 games MILAN: Ivan Perisic fired unbeaten Inter Milan top of and pushing ten-man Milan back in search of an Serie A yesterday with a hat-trick in a 5-0 win over equaliser, Brignoli headed home Danilo Cataldi’s free- Chievo after Gennaro Gattuso’s reign at city rivals AC kick five minutes into injury time to end the southern Milan began with giving lowly Benevento their first ever side’s record losing run. Benevento had surpassed Serie A point. Croatian Perisic opened the San Siro goal Manchester United’s 12-game losing start, a record blitz after 23 minutes and added two more in the second established 87 years ago, on November 19, and were half, while Inter captain Mauro Icardi made it 16 for the stuck on zero points after 14 games coming into the season seven minutes before the break and defender match with Milan. “Someone from the bench told me to Milan Skriniar finding the net on the hour mark. go up, there was nothing to lose, I went to jump and I Luciano Spalletti’s Inter are now the league’s only closed my eyes,” said Brignoli. “It’s a very strong, inde- unbeaten team after 15 games, after Napoli lost 1-0 at scribable feeling,” continued the 26-year-old, who home to champions Juventus on Friday. Inter have 39 joined promoted Benevento on loan this season from points and are alone at the top of Serie A for the first Juventus. “I dedicate the goal to all the people who are time since January 2016, one point ahead of Napoli and living a dream that they hoped would be better. two ahead of Juventus, who are chasing their seventh “We have lost so many games undeservedly at the straight league title and host Inter on Saturday. “It’s not end, even with Juventus, for once after three months of important who scores the goals, only the team counts, sacrifice by everyone it is nice to be able to celebrate.” we’ve waited a long time for first place, now we have to Giacomo Bonaventura had opened for Milan after 38 stay, we’re going to Turin to win against Juve,” said minutes at the Stadio Vigorito, before George Puscas Perisic ahead of next weekend’s clash. Despite the pulled Benevento level five minutes after the break. absence of key players Roberto Gagliardini, Matias Croatian forward Nikola Kalinic got Milan back in Vecino and Joao Miranda Inter proved deadly efficient front seven minutes later only for Alessio Romagnoli to against Chievo. Icardi moved top of the goalscoring be sent off for a second bookable offence leaving the charts but it was Perisic who stole the show on a night visitors a man down for the final 15 minutes. But in the where there were double celebrations for Inter fans as final seconds of the game as Benevento looked set for AC Milan let points slip against rock-bottom their 15th straight defeat Brignoli jumped highest after Benevento. a desperate last free kick to scenes of euphoria among the home crowd. MILAN: Inter Milan’s Mauro Icardi, left, kicks the ball onto Chievo’s Dario Dainelli during the Serie A soccer GOALKEEPER TURNED GOAL SCORER Former Milan midfielder Gattuso had taken over match between Inter Milan and Chievo Verona at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, yesterday. — AP Goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli snatched newcomers midweek after predecessor Vincenzo Montella was Benevento’s first ever Serie A point deep in stoppage sacked as the former European giants sit eighth on 21 time to spoil Gattuso’s debut and spark wild celebra- points, way below the Champions League ambitions of players,” said Gattuso. “They gave everything when to do something new is good, but we knew that despite tions for the hosts and their fans. their new Chinese owners. “We have to improve our down to ten. We conceded a goal that hurt. “We lost the defeats, Benevento have been performing much With the home side a goal down after 90 minutes form and mentality but I’ve nothing to hold against the the ball too many times playing out of defence. Trying better lately.” — AFP Valencia fall to first defeat at Boateng strike 10-man Getafe breaks Hertha MADRID: Valencia blew a huge chance to move to within hearts in Berlin two points of Barcelona at the top of La Liga as they slumped to a first defeat of the season, losing 1-0 at Getafe. The visitors’ disappointment was also compound- BERLIN: Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng ed by the fact Getafe played for 65 minutes a man down hit a superb winning goal 10 minutes from time to after Mauro Arambarri was sent off midway through the seal Eintracht Frankfurt’s 2-1 comeback victory at first half. his ex-club Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga yester- However, a Valencia shorn of the creative talents of PSG day. In falling snow at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, loanee Goncalo Guedes through injury lacked ideas to the 30-year-old Boateng unleashed a superb shot break the hosts down and were beaten by Markel from the edge of the area to leave Hertha goalkeep- Bergara’s deflected effort 24 minutes from time. er Rune Jarstein with no chance. Barca’s failure to win at home in La Liga for the first But the Berlin-born Frankfurt midfielder muted time in a year on Saturday against Celta Vigo had opened his celebrations having started his career at Hertha. the door for Valencia to continue their unlikely title chal- “It feels good to have won, because we have an lenge after finishing 12th in each of the last two seasons. important game coming up against Bayern Instead, the Catalans extend their lead at the top to five Munich,” said Boateng with Frankfurt hosting the points with Valencia now just a point ahead of Atletico Bundesliga leaders next Saturday. Madrid in third. Real Madrid are fourth, a further two “Personally, that was perhaps the weakest per- points back, after they too were held 0-0 at Athletic formance of my career, so I am glad we won.” Bilbao on Saturday. GETAFE: Getafe’s Spanish midfielder Markel kicks the ball during the Spanish league football match Getafe CF Boateng had to tread carefully in a bad-tempered Two poorly timed challenges from Arambarri early on vs Valencia CF at the Col. Alfonso Perez stadium in Getafe yesterday. — AFP looked to have gifted Valencia the upper hand. However, game after picking up a yellow card with just nine the best Los Che could muster before half-time was a trio minutes gone, but Frankfurt coach Niko Kovac, who of Dani Parejo free-kicks that tested Vicente Guaita. The from a Parejo free-kick that Guaita brilliantly tipped onto However, the introduction of Moroccan international played alongside Boateng for Hertha a decade ago, 10 men then missed a great chance to go in front at the the post. And the ex-Valencia keeper denied his former Nordin Amrabat, who could face Spain at next year’s left him on. “We talked about it during the break, start of the second period when Angel Rodriguez fired club once more in stoppage time with a smart stop from World Cup after the countries were paired together in but the coach knows I have enough experience to wide with just Valencia goalkeeper Neto to beat. Carles Soler’s piledriver. Friday’s draw, swung the game Leganes’ way. Amrabat hold myself back a bit,” explained Boateng. The Getafe did, though, get a lucky break for the opener On a fine Sunday for La Liga’s other two Madrid sides, teed up Diego Rico to equalise before another Moroccan result lifted Frankfurt to eighth, while Hertha are when Bergara’s powerful effort from 25 yards ricocheted so often overshadowed by Real and Atletico, Leganes also Nabil El Zhar put Leganes in front. And Amrabat was the 11th and five points from the relegation places. off former Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista to leave Neto came from behind to beat Villarreal 3-1. Daniel Raba had creator once more in stoppage time for Gabriel Pires to It was a poor display from Hertha, who got off to wrong-footed. Once again Valencia’s biggest threat came given Villarreal the lead at Butarque on the hour mark. complete the scoring. —AFP a bright start when Australia striker Mathew Leckie put in a great pass over the Frankfurt defence which Davie Selke fired home on 15 minutes. Pelicans 123, Trail Blazers 116 However, Marius Wolf hauled Frankfurt level by NBA results/standings Irving scores 19 DeMarcus Cousins poured in 38 points as New Orleans rifling his shot into the roof of the net from a corner topped Portland. E’Twaun Moore added 19 points and Jrue on 26 minutes. New Orleans 123, Portland 116; Denver 115, LA Lakers 100; Holiday 17 for the Pelicans, who ended a three-game losing Boateng settled the matter on 80 minutes when Milwaukee 109, Sacramento 104; Cleveland 116, Memphis 111; points as Celtics streak. Damian Lillard scored 29 points and CJ McCollum and he hammered a curling shot into the top left-hand Philadelphia 108, Detroit 103; Atlanta 114, Brooklyn 102; Dallas Meyers Leonard added 17 apiece for the Trail Blazers, who corner for his third league goal of the season. The 108, LA Clippers 82; Boston 116, Phoenix 111.