ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MARCH 19-20, 2021 SPORTS 14 Bayern ease into CL quarter-fi nals

Lazio’s slim hopes end

MUNICH, March 18, (AP): that I had the space. It was a super Robert Lewandowski made pass from David.” The game was long since out of sure it was a comfortable Lazio’s reach when Marco Parolo evening for Bayern Munich headed in a free kick in the 82nd. as the defending champion That marked Bayern’s seventh game in a row conceding at least one goal. eased into the Champions “The attack is very strong and League quarter-fi nals. we play with a lot of risk, we know Lewandowski netted in the fi rst that,” Flick told broadcaster Sky. half to end Lazio’s slim hopes of a “It’s important for us to keep playing comeback as Bayern beat the Ital- like this and defend from the front to ian club 2-1 at home to seal a 6-2 put our opponents under pressure.” aggregate win. Flick added that he held talks That meant four German coaches Wednesday with sporting director in the last eight as Bayern’s Hansi Flick joined Chelsea’s Thomas Tuchel, Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp SOCCER and Borussia Dortmund’s Edin Ter- zic. Hasan Salihamidzic following re- Lewandowski gave Bayern the ports in German media of a rift be- lead from the penalty spot in the tween the two over transfer policy. 33rd minute for his 39th goal in all Bayern has reached at least the competitions this season, and his quarterfi nals in nine of its last 10 10th in seven games. Lewandowski Champions League campaigns, with calmly sent his former Bayern team- the sole miss coming with a 3-1 ag- mate the wrong way af- gregate loss to Liverpool in the last ter Lazio’s was judged 16 in 2019. to have held Leon Goretzka as they Bayern coach Flick opted not jostled for position at a corner. to risk goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, Lewandowski had the chance to who has a cold, or forward Kings- reach 40 goals but the Polish striker ley Coman, who has a minor muscle hit the post with a low drive from problem. Neuer’s stand-in Alexan- outside the penalty area. der Nübel acquitted himself well in Choupo-Moting came off the stopping a tame header from Sergej bench to replace Lewandowski and Milinkovic-Savic early on, in a rare soon scored Bayern’s second off a fl icker of ambition for Lazio before defense-splitting pass from David the penalty put the game out of the Alaba in the 73rd, chipping the ball Italian club’s reach. He could do lit- over Reina. tle about Parolo’s late header after “Lazio are not a bad team so we poor marking by the Bayern defense. took them very seriously from the In Wednesday’s other game, Chel- Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski, (left), and Bayern’s , (right), vie for the ball with Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic during the Champions fi rst minute,” Choupo-Moting told sea beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 at home League, round of 16, second leg soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Lazio at the soccer Arena stadium in Munich, Germany, on March 17. (AP) broadcaster Sky. “I felt immediately to complete a 3-0 aggregate win. Sevilla strengthen grip on 4th place in Spanish league Sungjae returns to defend title Navas stars again as PSG reach quarters Westwood, a bit weary after a

PARIS, March 18, (AP): Keylor his left to bat away Yazici’s penalty. points, nine more than fi fth-place scored twice to raise his goals total hot streak, set to play Honda Navas saved another penalty to Djalo made another blunder in the Real Sociedad after 27 matches. to fi ve in England, leading Barnsley help Paris Saint-Germain reach the third minute of injury time, failing to The top four clubs secure a Cham- to a 3-1 win at Wycombe Wanderers PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida, French Cup quarterfi nals with a cut out simple a long pass near the pions League spot next season. in the second-tier League Champi- March 18, (AP): Lee Westwood’s 3-0 win over Lille 3-0, with Kylian halfway line and allowing Mbappe Sevilla is three points behind onship. streak of runnetr-up fi nishes is longer Mbappe scoring twice. to sprint clear and loft the ball neatly third-place Real Madrid and fi ve The 20-year-old, on loan from Or- than some might realize. One week after making multi- over Maignan. points from second-place Barce- lando in Major League Soccer, put He was second to Bryson DeCham- ple saves against Barcelona in the lona. Leader Atlético Madrid is nine the visitors ahead 2-0 with a short- beau at Bay Hill two weeks ago, then Champions League, including a pen- SOCCER points ahead. range header in the 49th minute off was second to Justin Thomas at The alty from Lionel Messi, Navas was En-Nesyri put the hosts ahead with a headed pass from Mads Andersen Players Championship last week. key to a win that wasn’t nearly as a header in the 43rd minute for his after Callum Brittain’s corner kick And on Tuesday, he played along- straightforward as the scoreline sug- The match supposed to be played fourth goal in the last three matches was only partially cleared. side 19-year-old son Sam at Augusta gested. in April but was moved forward Dike scored again in the 81st National while fi nishing two days of in all competitions. Vázquez sealed prepping for next month’s Masters. He made a close-range save to because of the Champions League the victory with a neat back-heel in minute with a sliding right-footed deny Lille striker Burak Yilmaz in volley from 7 yards from Brittain’s “I set him a target of 83 and he quarterfi nals. the 89th. chipped in on the last for birdie for the fi fth minute when the game was The sides meet again soon in the Vázquez is not expected to stay cross. still scoreless and stopped Yusuf Ya- Earlier Wednesday, Dike was se- 82,” Westwood said. “So, he won the French league, with leader Lille vis- at Sevilla after his contract ends this money.” zici’s penalty in the 78th with PSG iting defending champion PSG on lected for the U.S. roster for exhibi- leading 2-0. season. He was emotional during Add it all up, and it’s been a lot of April 3. his post-match interview and had to tions against Jamaica on March 25 golf lately for the 47-year-old West- PSG stayed on course to defend and versus Northern Ireland three its trophy, but it was another un- ❑ ❑ ❑ abandon it before it could be com- wood. He’s playing a fourth consecu- pleted. days later. tive event this week at the Honda Clas- convincing performance following Youssef En-Nesyri and Franco Cauley Woodrow had put Barns- sic at PGA National. The back-to-back Sunday’s 2-1 home loss to Nantes Sevilla has won eight of its last Vázquez scored a goal in each half ley ahead with a penalty kick in fi rst- second-place fi nishes, minus the unof- Lee Westwood, of England, putts on and the 1-1 draw with Barcelona last 10 league games, with seven clean half stoppage time. Uche Ikpeazu as Sevilla defeated Elche 2-0 to sheets in that stretch. It was coming fi cial one following his son’s chip-in at the 11th hole during the fi nal round Wednesday. strengthen its grip on fourth place in scored for Wycombe in the 85th. Augusta, have seen Westwood climb of The Players Championship golf Lille paid a heavy price for resting off a home victory against Barnsley has nine wins and three the Spanish league. in the derby. 20 spots in the world ranking to No. tournament on March 14, in Ponte captain Jose Fonte — arguably the The match was postponed from draws in its last 12 league matches 19. Vedra Beach, Florida. (AP) league’s best defender this season — Elche, which beat Sevilla at home and is fi fth after 37 games with 64 Even while acknowledging that he’s the second round because Sevilla two weeks ago, stayed one point out- back this year at the Honda after pre- because all of PSG’s goals stemmed played late into last season in the Eu- points, trailing Norwich (82), Wat- a little tired right now — “my legs are from defensive errors. side the relegation zone. vailing in 2020 with a 6-under 274, the ropa League, which was delayed be- ford (72), Swansea (69) and Brent- Mauro Icardi gave PSG the lead ❑ ❑ ❑ ford (67), and ahead of Reading (61) highest winning score at PGA National in the ninth minute. Angel Di Maria, cause of the coronavirus pandemic. GOLF since Mark Wilson shot 275 and won The home victory gave Sevilla 54 American forward Darryl Dike and Bournemouth (59). whose house was burgled while he The top two teams are promoted to in a playoff in 2007. was playing Sunday, hit a right-wing the Premier League at the end of the feeling it a little bit,” he said — West- Daniel Berger, who makes his cross that caused a mix-up between wood didn’t consider skipping Honda, home near PGA National, was to 46-match league season, and Nos. have been the highest ranked player inexperienced defender Tiago Djalo 3-6 go to a playoff for the fi nal pro- an event that he’s tried to remain loyal and goalkeeper Mike Maignan. to for years, even after the grind of in the fi eld at No. 15; Berger missed motion spot. his pro-am round Wednesday with The ball cannoned off Djalo’s ❑ ❑ ❑ contending on two tough courses in leg, with Maignan sprawled on the consecutive weeks and squeezing in 54 a rib injury and later withdrew from Spain’s top health offi cial rejected holes of practice at Augusta National the event. Five former world No. 1s ground trying to cut out the cross, are playing: Adam Scott, Luke Don- and it rolled to Icardi right in front the idea of having fans back in the to start this week. stands for the Copa del Rey fi nal “It’s one of my favorite tournaments ald, Vijay Singh, Martin Kaymer and of goal. Westwood. Yilmaz nearly equalized in the between Basque Country rivals Ath- of the year,” Westwood said. “I really enjoy this golf course. I fi nd it a good Tournament offi cials are allowing 30th but hit the crossbar after turn- letic Bilbao and Real Sociedad in 10,000 fans per day at the Honda, and April. challenge. There’s a lot of shots out ing and shooting. there where you’ve really got to com- if form from the last two weeks holds, Icardi limped off with an unspeci- Health Minister Carolina Darias mit and play the shot. I love the chal- plenty of them will want to see West- fi ed injury close to the interval and said it wouldn’t be appropriate to al- lenge of the Bear Trap. It’s always a bit wood. There’s no metric to precisely was replaced by Mbappe. low fans to attend the April 3 fi nal blowy, which I like, as well.” chart on-course popularity, but his has His penalty made it 2-0 in the 41st in Sevilla. The Bear Trap, named for Jack seemed to soar of late. after he was fouled by Zeki Celik, “Considering the situation we are Nicklaus, is PGA National’s three- It’s obviously not unheard of for who made the rash intervention sec- in, it’s not possible,” she said. “It’s hole defi ning stretch spanning Nos. 15 European players to be revered in the onds after failing to clear a simple not the right moment.” through 17, two par 3s sandwiching a U.S.; Ireland’s Padraig Harrington has ball. The Copa fi nal between Athletic par 5. It’s not uncommon for the wind long fallen into that category. After forwards Jonathan David PSG’s Kylian Mbappe (right), duels for the ball with Lille’s Zeki Celik dur- and Real Sociedad was postponed to blow in three different directions on Harrington is not surprised that and forced Navas ing the French Cup soccer match between PSG and Lille at the Parc des from last year in the hope that fans those holes. Westwood’s popularity has seemed to into smart low saves, Navas dived to Princes stadium in Paris, France, on March 17. (AP) from the fi erce rivals could attend. Defending champion Sungjae Im is surge over the past few weeks.