SPORTS MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2014 Barcelona held by battling Levante MADRID: Lionel Messi’s first league start of 2014 couldn’t inspire Barcelona to a victory as the Catalans were held to a 1-1 draw away to Levante yesterday. Loukas Vyntra got the hosts off to the best possible start as he headed low past Victor Valdes from Andreas Ivanschitz’s cross after 10 minutes. Gerard Pique quickly levelled from another corner, but despite intense pressure from the visitors after the break they couldn’t find a way through. The point leaves moves Barca one point clear of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga, but Atletico can go top should they beat Sevilla later yesterday. Levante had been 6-0 down at half-time on their way to a 7-0 thrashing at the Camp Nou on ITALY: Fiorentina’s Alessandro Matri celebrates after scoring during the Serie A soc- the opening day of the season. cer match between Catania and Fiorentina at the Angelo Massimino stadium. — AP However, Los Granotes made a far more posi- tive start this time around as Vyntra headed Fiorentina win, Napoli held home Andreas Ivanschitz’s cross as Barca con- ceded from a corner for the sixth time in La Liga MILAN: Alessandro Matri marked his debut November, told Sky Sport Italia. this season. for Fiorentina with a brace in a 3-0 win over Bianchi broke the deadlock with a glanc- The lead only lasted nine minutes as the visi- Catania while Napoli were held and Inter ing header from Alessandro Diamanti’s cross tors levelled in similar circumstances as Pique slumped to defeat as torrential rain played which beat Napoli ‘keeper Rafael on 37 min- climbed highest to head home Xavi’s corner. havoc in Italy’s Serie A yesterday. utes. Thereafter, though, Barca struggled to create VALENCIA: Barcelona’s Gerard Pique (right) duels for the ball with Levante’s Vyntra from Czech Matri, AC Milan’s most expensive signing Argentinian striker Gonzalo Higuain came opportunities against Levante’s back five in the Republic during their La Liga soccer match. — AP last summer, pledged to hit 10 goals for La close to levelling after the restart when he first period with Xavi’s drive from the edge of the Viola when he signed for the Florence club in dived to head Jose Callejon’s cross from six box that drifted wide their best effort from open midweek having struggled to make an yards out only for his effort to flash wide. play. Gerardo Martino’s men were more precise Spanish League results/standings impact with the Rossoneri. Higuain made no mistake from the penal- in their build-up play after the break and Alexis And the former Juventus flop took a big ty spot, though, blasting the ball under Sanchez managed to get in behind the Levante MADRID: Spanish La Liga results yesterday: step towards fulfilling that promise with a Gianluca Curci’s crossbar on 62 minutes after backline five minutes after the restart, but he Getafe 2 (Marica 28, Pedro Leon 52) Real Sociedad 2 (Agirretxe 4, 16); Villarreal 2 (Uche 3, Bruno first-half brace after Chilean Matias Fernandez Blerim Dzemaili had crumbled under a clum- delayed when faced with Levante keeper Keylor 87-pen) Almeria 0; Levante 1 (Vyntra 10) Barcelona 1 (Pique 19) had opened the scoring for the visitors. sy challenge from Panagiotis Kone. A superb Navas and was eventually snuffed out. “I haven’t had an experience like this for a Curci diving save then kept out Dries Mertens’ Fabregas was next to try his luck with a pow- Playing later (all times GMT) Benzema 45+1, Di Maria 61, erful shot from distance that was parried away long time and to be honest, I really needed it,” free kick and, now with the momentum, Atletico Madrid v Sevilla (2000) Morata 90) by Navas. And Navas had to be at his best five said Matri, who had scored only one goal this Napoli finally pulled in front when Callejon Elche 2 (Albacar 19-pen, Marquez 79) Rayo minutes later as he denied Messi after he had season in 15 appearances with Milan. “I want- pounced on a lost ball in midfield to surge Played Monday Vallecano 0; Granada 0 Osasuna 0 been played in by a neat one-two with Fabregas ed to play a leading role again and after such ahead and beat Curci with an angled drive. Athletic Bilbao v Valladolid (2100) Espanyol 1 (Sergio Garcia 88) Celta Vigo 0 before Juanfran blocked Xavi’s follow-up effort a tough period you lose your sense of bal- Napoli looked set for the three points after on the line. ance.” Fiorentina’s 12th win of the campaign Bologna were reduced to 10 men when Kone Played Saturday Friday Juanfran again put his body on the line to reinforced fourth place in the table and was cautioned for a second time after tug- Real Betis 0 Real Madrid 5 (Ronaldo 10, Bale 25, Malaga 0 Valencia 0 turn another goalbound effort from Messi Vincenzo Montella’s men are now 15 points ging Higuain’s shirt. behind moments later. However, Levante were behind leaders Juventus, 4-2 winners over But Rafael Benitez’s men were made to Barcelona 20 16 3 1 54 13 51 Levante 20 6 6 8 19 28 24 maintaining a threat on the counter-attack and Real Madrid 20 16 2 2 58 21 50 Getafe 20 7 3 10 22 33 24 Sampdoria on Saturday, and seven behind pay for slack defending at the death, their Valdes had to get down to hold Ivanschitz’s second-placed Roma. defence failing to pick up Bianchi at the back Atletico Madrid 19 16 2 1 47 11 50 Osasuna 20 6 4 10 17 29 22 header from Ruben Garcia’s cross. Villarreal 20 11 4 5 39 21 37 Malaga 20 5 6 9 19 24 21 More importantly, Fiorentina are only post before the striker smashed the ball into Ivanschitz forced Valdes into another flying three points behind Napoli, who occupy the the net. Inter’s woes continued, meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao 19 11 3 5 32 24 36 Elche 20 5 6 9 19 28 21 save 15 minutes from time as Barca left them- Real Sociedad 20 9 6 5 38 30 33 Celta Vigo 20 5 4 11 23 32 19 third and last qualifying spot for the with a 1-0 away defeat in rainy Genoa which selves exposed by pouring forward in search of a Champions League. left Walter Mazzarri’s men in sixth on 32 Sevilla 19 8 6 5 36 30 30 Almeria 20 5 4 11 21 40 19 winner. However, they came desperately close to Espanyol 20 7 4 9 23 25 25 Valladolid 19 3 7 9 21 33 16 Napoli had been looking for a win at points, the same as fifth-placed Verona ahead a winner five minutes from time when Cristian Bologna to stay in touch with the top two, of their trip to Milan later yesterday. Inter had Valencia 20 7 3 10 26 31 24 Rayo Vallecano20 5 1 14 19 47 16 Tello’s curling effort was brilliantly turned behind Granada 20 7 3 10 19 25 24 Real Betis 20 2 5 13 16 43 11 especially after Roma’s 3-0 defeat of Livorno plenty of chances to snatch the win and by Navas. — AFP on Saturday. But after Rolando Bianchi Mazzarri could only lament his side failing to opened the scoring just after the half hour beat Mattia Perin in the Genoa goal. “We had the former Manchester City and Lazio striker plenty of chances to score at the end and levelled on 90 minutes for the hosts to snatch Mattia Perin was impressive. We gave it every- French footballers face a share of the points in a 2-2 draw. thing and it’s hard to play more attacking Napoli remain third but are now 12 points football than we did,” said Mazzarri. Elsewhere behind Juventus-a gap Slovakian midfielder Alessandro Lucarelli hit an injury-time winner Marek Hamsik believes rules out a challenge for Parma in precious 2-1 win away to strug- under-age prostitute trial for the ‘scudetto’. “The gap is quite big now... I gling Chievo while Ciro Immobile and Matteo think it’s too much,” Hamsik, who made his Brighi struck in either half for Torino in a 2-0 PARIS: French footballers Franck Ribery and anything,” said her lawyer, Daniel Vaconsin. the scandal and has since established herself as first start since being sidelined with injury in win away to Sassuolo. — AFP Karim Benzema go on trial today charged with The two players are accused of having paid a designer of luxury lingerie, thanks partly to having sex with an underage prostitute who lat- for sex with Dehar when she was 16, in being befriended and championed by Lagerfeld, er gained fame as a lingerie model and designer. Benzema’s case, and 17, in Ribery’s. Although the who has described her as a quintessential Bayern Munich winger Ribery, 30, and Real age of consent is 15 in France, paying for sex French courtesan. Madrid striker Benzema, 26, are facing up to with anyone under 18 is a crime. The trial is Dehar has testified that she had paid-for sex three years in prison and fines of up to 45,000 going ahead after France’s highest court, the with both players but has said she lied to them euros ($55,000) each on charges they paid for Cour de Cassation, ruled that only those aware about her age.