Barca Thrash Cordoba 5-0 Dortmund Woes Deepen
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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2014 SPORTS Preview Rodgers, Wenger in Anfield spotlight LONDON: Two managers for whom criti- Old Trafford, but Rodgers saw encouraging cism has become an unwelcome bedfellow signs during the victory over this season face off in the Premier League Bournemouth. today when Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal tackle Brendan Rodgers’s Liverpool at Anfield. BALOTELLI BANNED Arsenal’s confidence has been improved by “The kid has been fantastic wherever back-to-back 4-1 wins over Galatasaray and he’s played this season. He was outstanding Newcastle United, but it was only two the other night (against Bournemouth),” weeks ago that Wenger was barracked by Rodgers said. “It’s been incredible, the stick fans of his own club following a 3-2 loss at the kid has received, with people trying to Stoke City. Rodgers, meanwhile, is under criticise him and put the focus on to him. real scrutiny for the first time in his He’s been outstanding for us and it was Liverpool tenure following a return of just another great performance from him the two wins from eight league matches. other night in a difficult game.” Last weekend’s chastening 3-0 defeat at Asked if Sterling would reprise his role Manchester United left last season’s run- up front against Arsenal, Rodgers replied: ners-up in 11th place, seven points below “We’ll see what’s in the best interests of the the Champions League places and a yawn- team.” ing 18 points behind leaders Chelsea. Rodgers can draw solace from the fact The highs of last spring now seem a dis- that his team destroyed Arsenal 5-1 when tant memory, but Wenger, who has been at Wenger’s side last came to Anfield in the Arsenal helm for 18 years, believes it February, plundering four goals in a devas- SPAIN: Barcelona’s Gerard Pique heads the ball to score against Cordoba during a Spanish La Liga soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium. —AP will only be a matter of time before tating 20-minute spell at the start of the Rodgers’s side start climbing the table game. But although Arsenal also fell to again. “I’ve sympathy for every single man- heavy defeats at Manchester City (6-3) and Barca thrash Cordoba 5-0 ager in the Premier League. Everybody Chelsea (6-0) last season, Wenger believes goes through periods where it goes a bit that they are now a more solid prospect. MADRID: Luis Suarez scored his first La Liga goal obsessed with getting on the scoresheet. The ever, when Messi, Iniesta and Pedro combined to less well,” said the Frenchman, whose side “We’ve won five of our last six games,” and Lionel Messi netted twice as Barcelona most important thing was that the team won hand Suarez a glorious chance to get up and began the weekend two points below the he said. “Liverpool are always very strong at moved to within a point of leaders Real Madrid and we achieved that”. running in La Liga and this time the Uruguayan top four in sixth place. home and that’s why we want to continue with a 5-0 thrashing of Cordoba in their final Despite coach Luis Enrique claiming that made no mistake with a deft first touch before “Our job is to survive crises. Part of the to be faithful to our philosophy and play game of the year yesterday. The hosts got off to Neymar had fully recovered from an ankle injury, slotting under Carlos. job, not all the job. When you want to make our game, but as well be solid defensively.” a flying start as Pedro Rodriguez, once again the Brazilian watched on from the bench as Rakitic nearly made it 3-0 moments later in a long career, you cannot only win, unfortu- Arsenal trio Theo Walcott, Alex-Oxlade deputising for Neymar, opened the scoring with Pedro was rewarded for his hat-trick in the 8-1 spectacular fashion as he crashed a drive from nately.” Rodgers cut an unusually taciturn Chamberlain (both groin) and Nacho a smart finish from Ivan Rakitic’s wonderful thrashing of Huesca in midweek and the Canary 25 yards off the post. The Croatian then made figure in his pre-game media briefing on Monreal (ankle) are due to undergo late fit- through ball inside two minutes. Islander continued his scoring streak in the first way for Xavi Hernandez 25 minutes from time Friday, according journalists only four and a ness tests, but Aaron Ramsey is out with a Barca then struggled to build on their lead for meaningful attack of the game. Rakitic’s intelli- and it was the veteran midfielder who provided half minutes of his time and responding to hamstring problem. Calum Chambers the rest of the first period, but Suarez capped gent left-footed pass over the top was trapped a perfect cross for Pique to power home a head- their questions curtly. returns from suspension. Liverpool have another quick start to the second period when by the Spain international before he lashed the er to make it 3-0. Two minutes later Messi got his But the Northern Irishman did become doubts over centre-back Dejan Lovren, he poked home from close range to end a sev- ball into the roof of the net to register his sixth name in the scoresheet from another set-piece animated when asked to discuss the form who was forced off against Bournemouth en-game drought in the league since returning goal in as many games. as Cordoba only partially cleared a corner from of Raheem Sterling, who scored twice as with a groin injury. from a four-month ban for biting. Andres Iniesta then shot straight at Juan the right and the four-time World Player of the Liverpool beat Championship leaders Midfielder Joe Allen is expected to Gerard Pique headed in a third before Messi Carlos before Suarez was inches away from mak- Year smashed the ball right-footed home off the Bournemouth 3-1 in the League Cup quar- return after missing the trip to Dean Court, rounded off the scoring with two stunning fin- ing his mark with an acrobatic effort that flew underside of the bar from the edge of the box. ter-finals on Wednesday. but Balotelli is unavailable due to a Football ishes in the final 10 minutes. “I was able to score into the side-netting. Messi added one final moment of magic in With Daniel Sturridge injured and new Association suspension. The Italian striker and that helps relax me. I don’t know if we were stoppage time when he spectacularly controlled signings Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert has been banned for one game for sharing affected, but the draw with Getafe last week FINE REACTION a looping ball on the outside of his left foot toiling, Sterling has started as a ‘false nine’ a picture of video-game character Super annoyed us. We had to come here today and Nabil Ghilas and Fede Cartabia shot into the before spinning to fire home with his right in Liverpool’s last two games. Mario on Instagram that contained the show that we’re in the fight for the Liga title,” side-netting in Cordoba’s only two attacks of despite Carlos’s best efforts to keep it out. The 20-year-old squandered several words “jumps like a black man and grabs Suarez said. note in the first 45, and they could have been Victory moves Barca six points clear of cham- excellent opportunities against United at coins like a Jew”. —AFP “Scoring is always important, but with the further behind at the break but for a fine reac- pions Atletico Madrid, who visit Athletic Bilbao support of everyone we all knew that this happy tion save from Carlos to turn Pique’s header from today. Real Madrid will end the year on top moment would come. “I’m a forward and I have close range behind for a corner. despite having played a game less than the to score goals, but I’m also helping the side to There was nothing the Cordoba ‘keeper could Catalans as they take on San Lorenzo in the final achieve its aims. For this I hadn’t got too do seven minutes into the second period, how- of the Club World Cup late yesterday. —AFP Dortmund woes deepen BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga crisis deepened yesterday after suffering their tenth defeat of the season in losing 2-1 at fellow strug- glers Werder Bremen to drop to second from bottom. Having started December at the foot of the table, Dortmund can finish 2014 back at the bot- tom if Freiburg score and pick up a point against Hanover 96 on Sunday. Dortmund continue to have the most defeats in Germany’s top flight at the season’s halfway stage with just 15 points from 17 games as PARIS: Paris Saint Germain’s David Luis (center) vies for the ball with Montpellier’s Bremen claimed only their fourth win of the sea- Joris Marveaux (right) as referee Sebastien Moreira (left) looks on during their son to climb off the foot of the table. Borussia League One soccer match. —AP coach Jurgen Klopp insists they are not relega- tion candidates, despite their league position. “I wouldn’t write us off yet,” Klopp insisted PSG held, Marseille on course with the Bundesliga to resume at the end of January following the winter break. PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain failed to find counterpart Laurent Blanc reflected on “We have three weeks to prepare ourselves the killer punch in a drab goalless draw at what might have been.