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Cavs leave Saul fires Raptors on Atletico to the brink18 top-four19 finish SUNDAY, MAY 7, 2017 Time for sports to take a look in the mirror Page 16 BARCELONA: Barcelona’s Argentinean forward Lionel Messi (C) vies with Villarreal’s midfielder Rodrigo Hernandez (R) and Villarreal’s Italian midfielder Roberto Soriano during the Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs Villarreal CF at the Camp Nou stadium. — AFP Barca trio combine to down Villarreal BARCELONA: Barcelona’s formidable front ond game back from suspension and nudged Barcelona’s fifth straight win gave it three throughout, opened the scoring when he Neymar deftly dribbled past a pair of defenders three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar Barcelona ahead in the 21st minute after more points than Madrid before the latter vis- poked in a shot by Messi that hit a defender and laid off for Messi to put the ball on his left all scored as the champions beat Villarreal 4-1 pouncing on a deflected pass from Messi. ited the relegated Granada later. Barcelona and fell to him in front of goalkeeper Andres boot. Head down, Messi opened an angle on Saturday to stay top of La Liga and keep Cedric Bakambu fired Villarreal level in the holds the tiebreaker over Madrid, but Madrid Fernandez. Villarreal responded with a goal by around two defenders and unleashed a long the pressure on title rivals Real Madrid. Barca 32nd after beating the offside trap to latch on will still have three matches to play after this striker Cedric Bakambu in the 32nd when strike that took a deflection off Villarreal’s Mario top the standings with 84 points after 36 to a clever through ball from Roberto Soldado. round to Barcelona’s two. That means Madrid Roberto Soldado played him clear on the Gaspar before finding the net. Suarez fired his games, three ahead of Real who have played Barca were temporarily punctured by the lev- controls its own fate as it tries to dethrone break as he sped away from Gerard Pique. goal under Fernandez in the 69th after Sergi two games fewer and visit already-relegated eler but a marvelous piece of skill from Messi Barcelona and lift its first Liga title since 2012. Pique wasted a cross by Messi that he only Roberto set him up in the area. Messi added a Granada. Lionel Messi reached another land- allowed them to restore their lead on the Messi’s goal on the last kick of the first half had to nod in and Soldado barely missed with a penalty that he converted in the “panenka” mark by scoring his 50th and 51st goals in all stroke of halftime with a shot from the tilted a match that was wide open for the first header on the other end before Neymar helped style, gently chipping the ball down the middle competitions. Argentine which flew beyond Andres 45 minutes, in Barcelona’s favor. Neymar, who Messi take back the lead. It’s the fifth season in after the goalie moved, after Jaume Costa han- Neymar was in sensational form in his sec- Fernandez with the help of a deflection. excelled in his incursions from the left flank Messi’s career that he’s reached 50 goals. dled the ball in the box. —Agencies City thrash Palace to keep Muntari overturns Champs League hope alive racism protest ban MILAN: Angered that he was treat- ling racism in soccer. “I hope my ed like a “criminal,” Sulley Muntari case can help so that other foot- was half-cleared by Martin Kelly, timed his run perfectly to won his fight with Italian soccer ballers do not suffer like me,” side-foot a volley into the corner of the net. For much of authorities on Friday to overturn a Muntari said. “I hope it can be a the opening half-an-hour, it seemed inevitable that more Man City 5 one-match ban for walking off the turning point in Italy and show the goals would follow, as Palace offered little midfield resist- field in response to racist abuse. The world what it means to stand up for ance. But a combination of poor final passes and sound Pescara player received a yellow your rights.” The global anger goalkeeping from Palace’s Wayne Hennessey prevented card during Sunday’s Serie A game reached the United Nations, with a City from increasing their tally for a while. Crystal Palace 0 at Cagliari for protesting to the ref- top human rights official calling eree about the monkey chants from Muntari an “inspiration.” SCRAP the stands. The 32-year-old mid- FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio MANCHESTER: David Silva returned from injury with a City might even have lost their lead 10 minutes before fielder was booked again for leaving told national news agency ANSA goal as Manchester City strengthened their Champions half-time, when Palace’s Andros Townsend got down the the pitch because his concerns that he was “satisfied” with the League qualification chances with a comfortable 5-0 win right to cross, Christian Benteke climbed above stand-in weren’t being acted on by the appeal ruling “because roles and over Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium yesterday. Silva, right-back Fernandinho to head down, and Willy Caballero match officials, who are required to procedures which are guaranteed by out for a fortnight after suffering a blow to his knee during twisted to his left to make a fine one-handed save. Half- halt games and issue warnings our system were respected.” the FA Cup semi-final defeat by Arsenal, struck inside the time arrived with City in danger of being drawn into a throughout the stadium to try to Tavecchio was banned by UEFA for first two minutes. scrap, with De Bruyne twice kicked by Jeffrey Schlupp, and stop racist behavior. six months at the start of his Italian Second-half goals from Vincent Kompany, Kevin De Silva taking matters into his own hands by retaliating with The red card led to Muntari federation presidency in 2014 over a Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Otamendi complet- a wild hack at Wilfried Zaha. receiving a one-match ban by the reference to bananas when dis- ed the scoring as City leapfrogged Liverpool into third in However, Guardiola’s side recovered a degree of com- league’s disciplinary commission, cussing the presence of foreign play- the Premier League, on goal difference, and also moved posure at half-time, and extended their lead three minutes which didn’t appear to take into ers in Italy. Muntari, who has played four points clear of fifth-placed Manchester United. Only after the restart. After De Bruyne’s corner had been account his suffering. Receiving no in the English Premier League with the top four at the end of the season qualify for the cleared, Silva worked the ball back to the Belgium interna- support from Pescara, Muntari was Portsmouth and in Serie A with Inter Champions League, European club football’s leading com- tional, who rolled a pass inside for compatriot Vincent forced to lodge the appeal himself and AC Milan, is now available for petition, with City now having three Premier League Kompany to sweep in with a vicious first-time shot.That with assistance from the players’ Pescara’s home match against games left to play this term. appeared to settle City down, and De Bruyne almost made union in Italy. “I feel that someone Crotone today. “This is an important But both Liverpool (at home to Southampton) and it 3-0 with a dipping 25-yard free-kick that brushed the top has finally listened and heard me,” victory to send a message that United (away to Arsenal) are in action today. For Palace, of the crossbar. the Ghanaian player said in com- there’s no place for racism in foot- not yet safe from the threat of relegation, Saturday’s More chances followed and third goal City had been ments published by FIFPro, the ball, or society in general,” he said. reverse was their third straight defeat. City manager Pep threatening arrived shortly before the hour mark when the international players’ union. “The Muntari told referee Daniele Minelli Guardiola has spoken repeatedly over the last two months influential De Bruyne steered a shot under Hennessey and last few days have been very hard and his assistants several times about his side’s failure to make possession and chances just inside the post after Sterling had held off Schlupp to for me. I have felt angry and isolat- about the chants from home fans in count, citing that as a reason for their relatively disappoint- reach Silva’s header and set up the chance. By now, City ed. I was being treated like a crimi- the final minute of Pescara’s 1-0 loss. ing season. were cruising, and the fourth goal had the feel of a training nal. How could I be punished when I The official then showed a yellow He would have been pleased that his side scored from ground exercise about it. Yaya Toure had all the time he was the victim of racism?” card to Muntari, who was so angry their first attack, but not that they then passed up a series wanted to play a diagonal ball towards substitute Pablo Cagliari escaped punishment with the booking that he walked off of first-half opportunities to add to that lead. The goal, MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s Argentinean Zabaleta, who guided a header back for Sterling to finish because Serie A’s disciplinary body the pitch.