14 Wednesday, July 15, 2020 Sports Solskjaer vows to put it right after Man Utd drop points AFP LONDON OLE Gunnar Solskjaer said Manchester United “will put it right” after conceding a late goal against Southampton on Monday to dent their hopes of reaching next season’s Cham- pions League. United were on course for a fifth successive Premier League victory after bouncing Manchester United’s Norwegian back from Stuart Armstrong’s manager Ole Gunnar Solsk- early opener through strikes jaer during the match against from Marcus Rashford and Southampton at Old Trafford in Anthony Martial. Manchester on Monday. (AFP) But just as third place beckoned for Solskjaer’s men of the boys has been brilliant,” Saints substitute Michael said the Norwegian boss. Obafemi struck in stoppage “We’ve had a few setbacks over time to seal a 2-2 draw at the season, of course, and this Old Trafford. is another challenge for us. Earlier on Monday the Court “I am very confident in the of Arbitration for Sport an- mentality of them. Very disap- Real Madrid’s French forward Karim Benzema (2nd left) celebrates after scoring during the Spanish League match against Granada FC at Nuevo Los Carmenes stadium in Granada nounced Manchester City’s two- pointed, of course, but we have late on Monday. (AFP) season European ban would be to take the disappointments as lifted, meaning only the top four well as the positives when you teams will qualify for next sea- win games.” son’s Champions league. “We’ve learned a hard les- United’s next two games son today hopefully, so we’ll Real Madrid, a win away are against Crystal Palace and make it right, we’ll put it right. West Ham before a potential I trust the boys in that re- last-day shoot-out against spect,” he added. Leicester, who are currently in Scoreline: Manchester United fourth place, ahead of Solsk- 2 (Rashford 20’, Martial 23’) jaer’s men on goal difference. Southampton 2 (Armstrong 12’, from claiming the title “I have to say the mentality Obafemi 90+6’). AFP to clear one shot off the line as STANDINGS (TOP 8) while Barcelona visit Alaves. A scramble in Madrid’s six- MADRID Zinedine Zidane’s side dug in Machis’s goal was the yard box saw several players Club P W D L GF GA Pts for a ninth consecutive victory. first Madrid have conceded hacking at the ball in panic and Real Madrid 36 25 8 3 66 22 83 REAL Madrid need one victory “Our vision when we start in six matches but few would Courtois was twice required to Barcelona 36 24 7 5 80 36 79 Arsenal’s Arteta hits out to secure La Liga after they every season is to win the have seen it coming after the make smart saves late on. Atletico Madrid 36 17 15 4 48 26 66 held off a second-half come- league,” said Zidane. “There first half. The closest Granada came Sevilla 36 18 12 6 53 34 66 at ‘crazy minutes’ back from Granada on Mon- are two games left. We are Madrid scored twice in six was when the ball fell to Ra- Villarreal 36 17 6 13 58 47 57 day to win 2-1 and move four close but we’re not there yet.” minutes, with both goals com- mon Azeez at the back post players are Getafe 36 14 12 10 43 34 54 points clear of Barcelona. When the final whistle Real Sociedad 36 16 6 14 55 47 54 ing from breaks down their left. and he fired towards the near With two games left, Ma- blew, Zidane roared with relief Athletic Bilbao 36 13 12 11 41 32 51 Mendy had space in front post with Courtois stranded clocking up drid will be crowned champi- and Ramos clenched his fists of him and kept going, acceler- but Ramos was on the line to ons if they beat Villarreal at after coming through their ating between Victor Diaz and clear. AFP point. “We have only had an home on Thursday regardless toughest test since the restart. Dimitri Foulquier before firing Earlier, Villarreal’s hopes LONDON advantage in one – which was of how Barca fare at the Camp “We can’t relax, we’re a bit high and into the roof of the of Champions League football against Spurs,” he told his pre- Nou against Osasuna. closer but we have to carry on,” net from an acute angle. were dashed after they lost 2-1 ARSENAL boss Mikel Ar- match press conference. “But But they were made to said Ramos afterwards. The second goal came at home to Real Sociedad to teta has bemoaned the fixture look at the boys, they keep go- sweat by a Granada team that “We let our guard down down the same side, Isco’s confirm that fourth-placed Se- scheduling since the Premier ing, they go full-gas, it doesn’t are gunning for Europe and here a bit on the second half. backheel allowing Luka Modric villa will join Atletico Madrid, League restart, saying on Tues- matter and we will do it again.” have been arguably the divi- We won the first half and lost to switch left to Benzema, who Barcelona and Real Madrid in day his players have amassed An FA Cup semi-final sion’s surprise of the season the second and maybe that’s this time cut inside Diaz and the competition next season. “crazy minutes” on the pitch in against City is next up for Arse- after being promoted from sec- a warning for us. We have to shot into the far corner. Villarreal remain fifth, recent weeks. nal after the Liverpool clash. ond tier last year. make sure we don’t repeat that Madrid cruised through three points ahead of Getafe The Gunners host newly “Obviously they’ve been Ferland Mendy and Karim mistake.” the rest of the half, pushing the and Real Sociedad, with all crowned Premier League cham- hit and a lot of them have Benzema looked to have set Madrid could win La Liga ball around at will, but comfort three hoping to secure a place pions Liverpool on Wednesday, played some crazy minutes up Madrid on course for a com- for the third time in eight years perhaps created complacency in the Europa League. Getafe three days after falling to defeat until now and again we’re go- fortable win at Los Carmenes at the Alfredo di Stefano Sta- and Granada improved after drew 0-0 against Alaves. to Tottenham in the north Lon- ing to have games every two- but Granada were transformed dium on Thursday night. “It came back and reacted. We’re the break. don derby. In the five games that and-a-half days.” after the break and Darwin would mean a lot,” said Ra- in the race and hopefully on Machis pulled a goal back, Monday results: Villarreal 1 followed their opening game of Defeat against Spurs in- Machis’s 50th-minute strike mos. Thursday we can celebrate.” striking through the legs of (Cazorla 85’) Real Sociedad 2 Project Restart – a 3-0 defeat at creased the chances of Arsenal gave them hope. “It’s the prize for consist- If Madrid slip up against Courtois after Casemiro was (Willian Jose 61’, Llorente 75’); Manchester City – Arsenal’s op- failing to qualify for Europe An increasingly nervous ency over the whole year. May- Villarreal, they will still have dispossessed in midfield and Alaves 0 Getafe 0; Granada ponents had longer to prepare, for the first time since the Madrid were clinging on by the be we had a period of reflection a second chance on Sunday Madrid were rattled as Grana- 1 (Machis 50’) Real Madrid 2 with Arteta keen to stress that 1994/95 season. end and needed Sergio Ramos during the suspension and we when they finish at Leganes da began to dictate play. (Mendy 10’, Benzema 16’). Guardiola ‘incredibly happy’, but rivals brand Man City let-off a ‘disgrace’ AFP other way if you are guilty you LONDON should be banned so it is also a disgraceful decision. In any PEP Guardiola said on Tuesday case the decision is a disas- a weight had been lifted from It’s a disgraceful ter,” said Mourinho. Manchester City after their decision, because if Man On Wednesday, Totten- European ban was overturned City is not guilty then to ham face Newcastle, a club by the Court of Arbitration for be punished with some which could benefit from any Sport (CAS), but rival manag- relaxation of FFP rules should ers Jose Mourinho and Jurgen millions is a disgrace. If a Saudi-backed takeover be ap- Klopp criticised the ruling. you are not guilty, you proved by the Premier League. The court on Monday are not punished. By And Mourinho believes lifted a two-year ban imposed the other way if you that in light of the City deci- Inter Milan’s Uruguayan defender Diego Godin (left) celebrates with Italian defender Alessandro Bastoni earlier this year on the Pre- are guilty you sion, any prospective new own- (centre) and Croatian defender Marcelo Brozovic after scoring his team’s second goal during the Serie A mier League club by Europe- ers will not feel the need to match against Torino at the San Siro stadium in Milan late on Monday. (AFP) an football’s governing body should be banned. comply with the regulations. UEFA over Financial Fair Jose Mourinho “I truly believe FFP is Play (FFP) breaches.