THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019 16 Clasico concerns for Madrid as Modric, Bale sit out training AFP | Madrid Rodrigo fires Spain into Euro eal Madrid face an anx- Rodrigo Moreno ensures a Euro 2020 spot for Spain with his late equaliser against Sweden Rious wait to see if Luka Modric and Gareth Bale will be fit for next week’s Clasico Marcus Berg against Barcelona after both • players missed training on thought he had won Tuesday. the match for Sweden Modric and Bale each did with his header before KNOW WHAT gym work indoors as they Rodrigo struck attempted to recover from injuries sustained playing David De Gea suffered in the Euro 2020 qualifier AFP | Stockholm an injury that could rule between Croatia and Wales him out of Manchester on Sunday. pain sealed qualification United’s Premier League It leaves Madrid uncer- for Euro 2020 with two clash with Liverpool on tain over the fitness of two Sgames to spare on Tuesday Sunday key players, with the crunch after Rodrigo Moreno came off La Liga game against Barca the bench to score a dramatic in- at Camp Nou fast-approach- jury-time equaliser in a 1-1 draw waiting for a tap-in inside him. ing on October 26. with Sweden. Rodri and Moreno both went Wales coach Ryan Giggs The 2008 and 2012 European close but Sweden survived and said Bale was struggling champions needed only a point then grew into the game, break- with pain in his calf towards in Stockholm to guarantee au- ing Spain’s rhythm and creating the end of their draw with tomatic progress to the finals. chances of their own. Croatia in Cardiff but sug- Rodrigo ensured they got it, De Gea made a brilliant diving gested the problem was after Marcus Berg had headed save to stop Robin Quaison’s Rodrigo Moreno of Spain celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal cramp. Madrid confirmed Sweden into the lead early in header flying into the top corner. that Modric sustained a the first half. take second spot when Norway’s was replaced by Chelsea’s Kepa Ansu Fati could be an option Then a neat touch from Berg set thigh injury in the match. Rodrigo’s 92nd-minute tap-in Alexander Sorloth snatched a Arrizabalaga, who had started against Malta and Romania next up Emil Forsberg who grazed “Following the tests car- sparked jubilant celebrations last-ditch 1-1 draw in Bucharest. Saturday’s 1-1 draw Norway. month. the post. ried out today on our player on the touchline. It provided a Finishing ahead of Sweden, “He said at half-time he want- Fati became the second Sweden stayed in the ascend- Luka Modric by the Real dramatic conclusion to an oth- Romania and Norway offers ed to continue,” Moreno said. youngest player to represent ancy after half-time and broke Madrid medical depart- erwise fairly smooth campaign only a limited idea of how Spain “It’s a pull in his adductor. We Spain under-21s on Tuesday through in the 50th minute. De ment, he has been diag - for Robert Moreno, who took will fare against Europe’s elite. will have to assess the damage.” night, coming on for the final 10 Gea palmed away Berg’s header nosed with a bruise in his over in June following the resig- There remain several ques- minutes of Spain’s 2-0 win over and then rose to deny Forsberg right quadriceps,” a club nation of Luis Enrique. tion marks over key positions, New era for Spain Montenegro. on the rebound but the ball spun statement read. “His re - “Qualification is a must for a not least in goal, where David Suspensions for Sergio Ramos For the senior side, Villarreal’s up from his second save and covery will continue to be team like Spain but achieving it de Gea started but was forced and Sergio Busquets meant Gerard Moreno made his debut Berg was well-placed to nod in assessed.” still has value,” said Moreno. “It off injured in the second half, a there was not a single player up front. Rodri and Inigo Mar- the opener. Real Madrid, who sit top releases the pressure and gives worry for his club Manchester in the starting line-up who had tinez came in for the banned Kepa replaced the limping De of La Liga, play away at us time to work.” United ahead of their meeting played in the Euro 2008 and Ramos and Busquets. Gea on the hour. Mallorca on Saturday and at After drawing their last two with Premier League leaders 2012 triumphs, or the World Spain made a strong start and Spain had some joy from cross- Barcelona a week later, with matches, Spain are top of Group Liverpool this weekend. Cup in between. should have taken the lead when es, with Moreno and Oyarzabal an important Champions F on 20 points, five ahead of De Gea appeared to have Moreno is furthering Spain’s Thiago Alcantara had only the both going close. But it looked League group game away Sweden and six above Roma- pulled a muscle in his right leg attempt to usher in a new era. keeper to beat, but failed either like Sweden would hold on until at Galatasaray in between. nia, who missed the chance to after making a clearance and Barca’s 16-year-old sensation to finish or find Mikel Oyarzabal Rodrigo, on for Thiago, struck. Messi wins third straight Golden Shoe award Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser AFP | Beijing who is the only non-La Liga nominated for Female player to win the award - doing arcelona attacker Lionel so jointly with Ronaldo in 2014 World Athlete of the Year BMessi has been presented while still a Liverpool player - with the European Golden Shoe since the Portuguese did so with after ending the 2018-19 season Manchester United in 2008. as the leading marksman on the Remarkably, the winner of the continent. Golden Boot award in eight of He won the race by scoring 36 the last nine seasons has scored times in 34 outings for the Camp at a rate of more than a goal per Nou side last season as they re- game. The one exception was gained their Primera Division Messi’s 2018 triumph, when he trophy, with the 32-year-old netted on 34 occasions, having once again their star performer. played 36 matches. It was the sixth occasion he Messi will be hard pushed to has won the award and marked match his previous exploits dur- nine years after he first lifted the ing the 2019-20 season, which prize by scoring 34 goals during has already been marked with the 2009-10 campaign. two spells out with injury, re- Kylian Mbappe of Paris stricting him to just one full Saint-Germain was the only Lionel Messi poses with his family after receiving his sixth Golden Shoe award 90-minute display in La Liga to player to push the South Amer- date. The five-time Ballon d’Or ican close in the race, with the Fabio Quagliarella of Sampdo- ed the Golden Shoe over the winner, who was also recently young French superstar having ria, who found the net 26 times course of the last decade, with awarded FIFA’s The Best Male netted on 33 occasions for the to finish as Serie A’s leading the usual suspects of Messi and Player for 2018-19, marked that Ligue 1 champions. scorer. Cristiano Ronaldo joined by appearance with a goal against Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain crosses the finish line to win the Women’s 400 Completing the top three was Three players have dominat- two-time winner Luis Suarez, Sevilla. Metres final (file photo) TDT | Manama range of exceptional perfor- mances that the sport has wit- ahraini champion Salwa nessed this year, at the IAAF Murray overcomes Coppejans in Antwerp opener BEid Naser, has been select- World Athletics Champion- ed as a nominee in the 2019 ships in Doha, and in the Dia- Reuters | Antwerp surfacing surgery in January, in the world, for his first ATP World Athletes of the Year. mond League and in road and was stretched by the wildcard level victory in Europe for 16 She is one of the 11 nominees cross country events. ormer world number one in the second set but held his months. for Female World Athlete of Salwa was selected after she FAndy Murray began his Eu- nerve to prevail in an hour and Up next for Murray is either the Year who were selected won world 400m title in 48.14, ropean Open campaign with a 44 minutes. eighth seed Pablo Cuevas or Bo- by an international panel of the third-fastest time in histo- battling 6-4 7-6(4) victory over Three-times Grand Slam livia’s Hugo Dellien. athletics experts, comprising ry. She also won the Diamond unseeded Belgian Kimmer Cop- champion Murray won 75% Murray is hoping to regain representatives from all six League title and three gold pejans in Antwerp on Tuesday. of points on his first serve full match fitness before he continental areas of the IAAF, medals at the Asian Champi- The 32-year-old Scot, who is and converted four out of six makes his much-anticipated the IAAF said. onships. continuing his comeback after break points to overcome his Grand Slam return at next year’s The nominations of 11 ath- Salwa remains undefeated at having career-saving hip re- Andy Murray returns a shot opponent, who is ranked 158 Australian Open.