27 Sports Tuesday, September 25, 2018 Gerard Pique rescues point for 10-man Barca against Girona Barcelona return to the top of the table on goal difference BARCELONA: American fans will be licking their lips if also brought in - were substituted before the hour. this is what awaits Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium in January “When we got the red card, our intention was to make after Barcelona and Girona played out an enthralling 2-2 a change but we had to let him (Umtiti) warm-up,” draw at the Camp Nou on Sunday. There were four goals, Valverde said. “It looks like an error on my part.” one for Lionel Messi and two for Girona’s Cristhian Messi and Pique had changed too, each shaving their Stuani, not to mention a controversial red card shown to beards, but it had contrasting effects based on the evi- Barca defender Clement Lenglet. dence of the first half. Within 19 minutes, Messi had put Gerard Pique salvaged a point for the hosts to com- Barca ahead, a slick finish into the corner finishing off plete his own blockbuster night, after clearing one shot Vidal’s pass for the Argentinian’s eighth goal in six games. off the line and making mistakes for each of Girona’s Pique, however, was at fault for the equaliser, a lethar- goals. gic attempt at a clearance allowing Stuani to poke the ball By the end, Barca had surrendered their perfect record past Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Girona had been spurred on in La Liga, as well as a two-point advantage over Real by Lenglet’s red card, after VAR showed the French Madrid. They return to the top of the table, but only on defender landed an elbow into the face of Pere Pons, and goal difference. Girona move up to sixth. “For us, this is a referee Jesus Gil deemed it deliberate. triumph,” Stuani said. “Coming here and getting this result The red card rippled through the French contingent as is so valuable for us.” Lenglet’s dismissal meant Ousmane Dembele was Hanging over this game was always the wider prospect replaced by Umtiti at half-time. It made little difference as of it not being returned, given La Liga’s desire to move Girona, and Stuani, scored another six minutes after the the reverse fixture at Girona’s Estadi Montilivi on January restart, with Pique again the one culpable. 26 to the United States. For all the opposition, however, First, he was outrun by Portu and then he brought the there was a noticeable lack of complaint at the Camp striker down from behind for what was probably a penal- Nou, where there were chants for Catalan independence ty. Portu’s shot was pushed away by Ter Stegen but Stuani but precious little in opposition to a trip to Miami. banged in the rebound. A point may not be viewed as a bad return either for Valverde replaced Vidal and Arthur with Philippe Barca, having played through the best part of an hour Coutinho and Ivan Rakitic, and Messi struck the crossbar with 10 men, but changes made by coach Ernesto with a free-kick soon after. He was involved in the last Valverde failed to hit the mark. goal too as a brilliant exchange with the lively Luis Suarez Lenglet came in for Samuel Umititi, presumably to bed saw the latter’s shot loop across the box. Pique leapt high in next to Pique, given Umtiti is suspended for Barcelona’s to head in. Champions League game against Tottenham later this Earlier, Ben Yedder scored a hat-trick as Sevilla BARCELONA: Barcelona’s Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez (L) shoots beside Girona’s Spanish midfielder Pere month. But he was, perhaps harshly, sent off in the 35th thrashed Levante 6-2 while Real Betis came from behind Pons during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Girona FC at the Camp Nou stadium minute with Barca one up, and they then conceded before to draw 2-2 at home to Athletic Bilbao. Valencia and in Barcelona on Sunday. — AFP Umtiti came on at half-time. Arthur and Arturo Vidal - Villarreal drew 0-0. — AFP Modric threatens to end Ronaldo-Messi Ranieri coy era as world’s best on Roma link LONDON: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s decade- MILAN: Former Roma coach Claudio Ranieri long domination of football’s individual awards is under remained tight-lipped yesterday amid talk that he threat from Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka could be in line to replace under-fire Eusebio Di Modric and Liverpool’s Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah Francesco in the Stadio Olimpico hotseat. The club’s when FIFA’s player of the year is announced yesterday. For billionaire American owner James Pallotta said he was the first time in 12 years Messi is not even nominated “disgusted” after the Serie A giants plunged to 14th among the three finalists for the award after early exits for with a 2-0 loss at Bologna. Argentina at the World Cup and Barcelona in the quarter- The 66-year-old Ranieri led Leicester City to the finals of the Champions League. English Premier League title in 2016, but has been Both Messi and Ronaldo have won FIFA’s award in dif- without a club since leaving French Ligue 1 club ferent guises five times each, and the Portuguese can move Nantes last May. “I am a fan, Roma is in my heart, but out on his own after winning a third straight Champions I hope that Di Francesco can move forward,” Ranieri League title with Real Madrid before heading for pastures told Radio Anch’Io Sport when asked if he would be new with Juventus in July. interested in a move back to his hometown club. For a sixth straight season, Ronaldo was the Champions Former defender Ranieri started his senior foot- League’s top scorer with 15 goals and also scored four ball career in Rome in 1973 and later coached the times at the World Cup, including a hat-trick against Spain club for two years from 2009, just missing out on in a thrilling 3-3 draw to open Portugal’s campaign. the Serie A title in 2010. “That Scudetto we lost in However, Portugal’s last 16 exit to Uruguay in Russia the last half-hour of the final day still burns. I think and Ronaldo’s failure to score in the semi-finals or final of about it often, although I partly redeemed myself at the Champions League has opened the door for Modric. MADRID: File photo shows Real Madrid’s Croatian midfielder Luka Modric controls the ball during the UEFA Leicester,” recalled the former Chelsea, Napoli and Champions League group G football match between Real Madrid CF and AS Roma at the Santiago Bernabeu ‘THE YEAR OF LUKA’ Inter Milan boss who has said he is keen to continue stadium in Madrid on September 19, 2018. —AFP in management. Croatia’s captain was an inspirational figure as they Meanwhile, Ranieri believes Roma are paying the surpassed all expectations to reach the World Cup final price for selling key players, rather than blaming Di and also played a big role in Madrid’s Champions World Cup bid. Despite scoring in each of his two appear- also including Gareth Bale’s acrobatic strike for Real in the Francesco, 49, who took over in 2017 and led the League and Club World Cup wins. “I hope that Luka ances in Russia, The Pharaohs bowed out at the group Champions League final. team to third last season. Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson will be the best player in the world,” Croatia manager stage with three defeats. The best goalkeeper prize is to be contested by France moved to Liverpool during the summer with Belgian Zlatko Dalic told AFP. France’s World Cup-winning coach Didier Deschamps captain Hugo Lloris, Denmark’s Kasper Schmeichel and midfielder Radja Nainggolan going to Inter and “He deserves it because he was the best player in the is favourite to win the best coach award ahead of Dalic Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois, whose World Cup heroics Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman to Marseille. Club World Cup and the best player in the World Cup. and former Real coach Zinedine Zidane, who stepped earned him a move to Madrid from Chelsea. “Di Francesco is one of the best young coaches we “Messi and Ronaldo are fantastic players, but this year down in June after overseeing three Champions League Lyon’s Norwegian striker Ada Hegerberg and German have in Italy, for reasons of financial fair play the team is the year of Luka.” Salah also makes the podium for triumphs in just two and a half years in charge. Even if they midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan are joined by Brazilian five- has been changed, three players who were the back- the first time after an incredible 44-goal debut season lose out on the best player award, Messi and Ronaldo time winner Marta of Orlando Pride in the running for the bone of Rome have been sold,” he said. for Liverpool that carried the Reds to the Champions could walk away with a prize as they are both nominated best women’s player after winning the Champions League “When a coach signs a contract, he’ll know his League final. for the Puskas award for best goal. Messi’s solitary World with the French giants. team’s philosophy. “Di Francesco knew what he was However, a shoulder injury suffered early on in the final Cup goal against Nigeria and Ronaldo’s spectacular over- Reynold Pedros of Lyon, Japan boss Asako Takakura signing up for.