THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2016 SPORTS Besiktas beat Napoli for first CL win in 7 years

NAPLES: Vincent Aboubakar scored twice competition since 2009. Adriano scored on Besiktas’s first opportu- er, Besiktas took the lead again through Fullback Caner Erkin was booked for tug- and Besiktas beat Napoli 3-2 in the If Napoli had won, it would have nity 12 minutes in, redirecting a low cross Aboubakar, who took advantage of a ging Mertens’ shirt in the area. Champions League on Wednesday to become the first team in Champions from Ricardo Quaresma that found its way dreadful back pass by Napoli midfielder Aboubakar’s second came with a header deny the Italian club a chance at advanc- League history to advance from its group through a crowded area. Jorginho. Besiktas goalkeeper Fabri made following a free kick from Quaresma, ing from the group stage in time. after just three matches. Now, Napoli has Dries Mertens equalized for Napoli on a diving save to stop a penalty from although the striker may have been off- Aboubakar, a Cameroon international just a one-point lead over Besiktas, with the half-hour mark, finishing off a beauti- Lorenzo Insigne early in the second half side. It was Napoli’s first home loss in the on loan from Porto, scored the winner Benfica two points back after its 2-0 win at ful exchange that began with captain and preserve the lead. competition, having won eight and drawn four minutes from time after having also Dynamo Kiev. While Napoli missed injured Marek Hamsik and ended with Jose Napoli substitute Manolo Gabbiadini four games stretching back to the old restored Besiktas’ lead late in the first half. center forward Arkadiusz Milik, the Callejon cutting the ball the back for converted a penalty to make it 2-2 five European Cup. Napoli has also lost two It was the Turkish side’s first win in the Partenopei were most lacking on defense. Mertens to prod home. Eight minutes lat- minutes after he replaced Insigne. straight in Serie A. — AP Celtic’s CL hopes in tatters after Kolo Toure blunders

GLASGOW: Celtic’s Champion League long to be tested. hopes were in tatters yesterday as Borussia Ibrahima Traore’s effort had the Hoops Monchengladbach produced a clinical per- stopper at full-stretch to make a fingertip formance to inflict a 2-0 home defeat on save before he smothered the danger as the Scottish champions. Hahn looked to pounce on the loose ball. The Germans arrived in Glasgow with a The Bundesliga side seemed to cut horrendous injury list and struggling for through Celtic with ease and Jonas form following defeats by Manchester City Hoffman was next to try his luck but his ris- and Barcelona in their opening Group C fix- ing shot failed to trouble Gordon. tures. However, the Bundesliga side domi- The Hoops looked to be in trouble as nated the match from the start as they Stindl latched on to a poor backward head- played with the kind of intensity that had er by Bitton, but the Foals’ captain over hit helped Celtic claim a thrilling 3-3 draw with his pass to Hahn whose shot from a tight Manchester City on match day two. angle was tipped over by Gordon. Following a goalless first half, captain The Celtic fans, who seemed to drive Lars Stindl rifled his side into a deserved their side forward against Man City with lead in the 57th minute after a mistake their raucous support, were silenced as from veteran defender Kolo Toure. their side struggled to cope with the relent- The former Liverpool defender was less pressure from the Germans. caught out again 20 minutes later as Andre However, they came alive again just Hahn pounced to grab the second and before the break as Rogic’s clever pass inflict only Celtic’s fourth home defeat in 26 behind the Borussia defence played in Champions League games. Sinclair but the English forward sent his Monchengladbach move to within one effort sailing over the bar. point of Manchester City in second, who The home support tried their best to lost 3-0 to Group C leaders Barcelona rouse their side at the start of the second thanks to a hat-trick on Pep half but the Germans’ slick one-touch pass- Guardiola’s return to the Nou Camp, while ing play stifled their opponents. Celtic are rooted to the bottom on one The visitors took a deserved lead in point. The Hoops flew out of the traps bizarre circumstances. Toure was caught against City but any hopes for a similar trying to usher the ball out inside the six- start were thwarted by the yard box but Hahn’s perseverance allowed Monchengladbach players who seemed to him to dig the ball back into ball for the have the measure of their opponents. advancing Stindl who lashed the ball Much was made of the visitors’ injury through the legs of Gordon. problems with key forwards Raffael, Another costly mistake from Toure Thorgan Hazard and Josip Drmic missing, allowed the visitors to increase their LONDON: Ludogorets’ Madagascan midfielder Anicet Abel (C) tackles Arsenal’s Spanish defender Hector Bellerin during the UEFA Champions but their replacements were impressive as advantage. The experienced defender was League Group A football match between Arsenal and Ludogorets Razgrad at The Emirates Stadium in London yesterday. — AFP twice within the opening minutes the caught dithering on the ball by Hahn who Celtic defence was torn apart. robbed him of possession near the Only a last-ditch block from Toure pre- halfway line and raced away to blast a Ozil treble, Sanchez gem vented a Hahn shot from reaching Craig strike into the top right-hand corner of Gordon, but the ‘keeper didn’t have to wait Gordon’s net. — AFP inspire rampant Arsenal

LONDON: Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez that beat Swansea on Saturday, Wenger called saved by Ospina, who raced off his line and showed why their value to Arsenal is priceless as for his players to keep their foot on the gas after barely got to the ball before colliding with Virgil the peerless duo inspired a 6-0 thrashing of building some impressive momentum in recent Misidjan, who appealed in vain for a penalty. Bulgarian minnows Ludogorets in the weeks and the response was emphatic. Ospina also had to be alert to block on the Champions League yesterday. After scoring twice against Swansea, Walcott edge of the area before Wanderson fired against Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has urged Ozil had a golden opportunity to extend his hot the woodwork from the rebound. Walcott mis- and Sanchez not to get greedy after reports they streak when Sanchez picked him out unmarked fired again when he blasted straight at Stoyanov both plan to demand Arsenal increase their inside the penalty area. from close-range, but he made amends in the wages to £250,000-per-week ($307,000, 279,000 With only Ludogorets goalkeeper Vladislav 42nd minute. Given time to size up his shooting euros) when contract talks are reopened later Stoyanov to beat, Walcott strangely opted for a chances 25 yards from goal, Walcott punished this month. Sanchez and Ozil’s current deals cross and his scuffed delivery was easily cleared. Ludogorets’ slack marking with a superb shot expire in 2018, but Arsenal want their prize Walcott’s faux pas was never likely to derail that flashed past the slow-to-react Stoyanov. assets to commit their long-term futures to the Arsenal for long as they cut through the With their chances of taking even a point club and on the evidence of their swaggering Ludogorets defence time and again before tak- looking forlorn, Ludogorets faded in the second displays at the Emirates Stadium, they should ing the lead in the 12th minute. half and Oxlade-Chamberlain pounced on pay them whatever they want. Sanchez was the Kieran Gibbs’ half-cleared cross to score Arsenal’s catalyst for Arsenal’s romp as the former PRIME FORM third goal from 10 yards in the 46th minute. Barcelona star netted his sixth goal of the season Taking possession on the left edge of the Wenger’s men weren’t finished yet and Ozil with a quite brilliant first half chip, while German Ludogorets penalty area after beating the made it four when he raced onto Santi Cazorla’s midfielder Ozil smashed a second half hat-trick. Bulgarians’ attempted offside trap, Sanchez superb long pass and drilled a low strike past Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain looked up and lofted a majestic chip that arched Stoyanov in the 56th minute. were also on the scoresheet for rampant Arsenal, over Stoyanov before nestling into the far cor- There was still time for Ozil to improve his who are top of Champions League Group A after ner. While Arsenal were in prime form going for- own bid for a bumper new deal as he struck three matches and well on course for the last 16. ward, they were less convincing at the back and again with a cool finish in the 83rd minute. Unbeaten in Europe this season, Arsenal have Wanderson threatened with a stinging drive that Ozil completed his hat-trick in the 87th now won seven successive matches in all com- forced David Ospina into action. minute when he blasted home with a fierce petitions. Making four changes from the team Breached again moments later, Arsenal were close-range volley. — AFP Di Maria points the way for PSG GLASGOW: Celtic’s Erik Sviatchenko, right, jumps for the ball ahead of Moenchengladbach’s Lars Stindl during the Champions League group C soccer match between Celtic and Borussia Moenchengladbach at Celtic Park, Glasgow, PARIS: Angel Di Maria’s first goal of the season later but Paris were poor, and yet they went in low into the net after Basel failed to cut out a Scotland, yesterday. — AP set Paris Saint-Germain on their way to a 3-0 front five minutes before the interval. Serge Aurier centre. Champions League victory against an unlucky Cavani tried to convert a low ball in by Blaise It was not Basel’s evening, and they hit the Basel side at the Parc des Princes yesterday. Matuidi but his touch turned into an assist for Di frame of the goal for the third time in the 66th ‘Benfica beat Dynamo Kiev Di Maria grabbed the opener late in the first Maria, who finished emphatically. minute. Marek Suchy’s header following a free- half and Lucas doubled PSG’s lead just after the Cavani saw a header graze the near post on kick struck an upright and then rebounded off hour mark before Edinson Cavani’s late penalty its way past as he connected with a Di Maria an unwitting Areola on the line. KIEV: Eduardo Salvio converted a penalty rhythm and the hosts fell further behind in sealed the victory as the French giants moved free-kick at the start of the second half. Cavani then added gloss to the score-line by and Franco Servi also scored as Benfica the 55th, when Servi scored at the second closer to qualifying for the last 16 from Group A. He then robbed Eder Balanta and bore down converting a stoppage-time penalty for his 17th beat Dynamo Kiev 2-0 yesterday for a first attempt after his first effort struck his own They remain level on seven points at the top on goal but could not beat Vaclik. Instead, it was goal this season for club and country after he win in the Champions League this season. player, Kostas Mitroglou. of the group with Arsenal, who crushed Lucas who made it 2-0 moments later, slotting had been fouled in the box. — AFP GonÁalo Guedes was brought down by Benfica moved up to third in Group C, a Ludogorets 6-0 in London, with Basel and the Antunes, allowing Salvio the chance to point behind Besiktas and two behind Bulgarians both six points behind. A draw when score from the spot in the ninth minute. Napoli after three games. Dynamo has one they play Basel away in their next outing will Conceding early disrupted Dynamo’s point. — AP likely secure their progress to the next round, and yet the outcome of this game could have been very different, with the Swiss side hitting the woodwork three times. The home side were without the injured Thiago Motta, and while the elegant Adrien Rabiot started in his place, they missed his abili- ty to dictate the tempo of a game and keep pos- session. Indeed, a side that had appeared so accomplished in previous seasons under Laurent Blanc again looked a shadow of their former selves for much of this game. Paris have not yet convinced under Unai Emery and they could not afford to underesti- mate a Basel outfit utterly dominant in their domestic league and who have pulled off some impressive results in Europe. The visitors were the better team in the first half but missed several chances, first when Birkir Bjarnason kept alive a corner at the back post and Michael Lang headed against the bar. Ivory Coast striker Seydou Doumbia then out- muscled Thiago Silva before releasing Renato Steffen, but Alphonse Areola came out to deny the winger before Doumbia fired over the loose ball. Di MarÌa did flash a volley just past after being teed up by Lucas on a quick breakaway but Basel hit the woodwork again in the 36th PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain’s Argentinian forward Angel Di Maria (2nd-L) and Paris Saint- KIEV: Benfica goalkeeper Ederson makes a save in front of Kiev’s Andriy Yarmolenko minute, this time from a Doumbia header after a Germain’s Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani (2nd-R) control the ball moments before scoring during the Champions League Group B soccer match between Dynamo Kiev and Matias Delgado cross. during the UEFA Champions League group A football match between Paris Saint-Germain Benfica at the Olympiyskiy stadium in Kiev, Ukraine, yesterday. — AP Rabiot was denied by Tomas Vaclik seconds (PSG) and Basel at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris yesterday. — AFP