Sports FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2016 Buffon eyes record as Juve prepares for Sassuolo MILAN: Juventus welcomes Sassuolo in a very different position to the last time the two teams met. When they faced each other back in October, Juventus had won only three of its first nine matches. The four-time defending champion went on to lose 1-0 in Reggio Emilia, finishing the round in 12th spot. Juventus has won 17 of its 18 matches since that sobering night - setting a new club record - and head the standings. “It was certainly a low point in our season,” LONDON: Paris Saint-Germain’s Swedish forward Zlatan said Italy forward Simone Zaza, who Ibrahimovic celebrates scoring his team’s second goal joined Juventus from Sassuolo last sum- during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second mer. “Afterwards, the more experienced leg football match between Chelsea and Paris Saint- heads in the dressing room made them- Germain (PSG) at Stamford Bridge. — AFP selves heard. “Certainly it wasn’t a nice night, even if, Ibrahimovic silenced personally, I also experienced intense emotions because it was a return to my his doubters: Blanc past. At the end of the match we were all disappointed and when we met up at LONDON: Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc said that training, we confronted our problems and Zlatan Ibrahimovic had answered his critics by inspiring his each one of us managed to show our true team to victory over Chelsea in the Champions League last 16. potential.” Sassuolo has also continued TURIN: Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon reacts during the Champions Ibrahimovic created the opening goal for Adrien Rabiot and picking up positive results and three suc- League, round of 16, first-leg soccer match between Juventus and Bayern then volleyed in a 67th-minute winner as French champions cessive wins have lifted it up to seventh, Munich at the Juventus stadium. — AP PSG won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday to complete a three points below AC Milan in the fight Buffon has not been beaten in Serie A (twice), Davide Ballardini, Fabio Viviani, 4-2 aggregate victory. for Europe. in 836 minutes, the third-longest stretch in Guillermo Schelotto, Giovanni Bosi and The outspoken Swede, sent off during PSG’s success Juventus plays today and can move league history. The unbeaten record in Giovanni Tedesco. Zamparini has made against Chelsea in last season’s competition, has faced criti- provisionally six points clear of second- Serie A is held by Sebastiano Rossi, who nearly 60 coaching changes in 29 years as cism throughout his career for failing to reproduce his domes- placed Napoli, which visits Palermo on kept a clean sheet for 929 consecutive a club owner, first at Venezia and then at tic form in European competition, but Blanc said that he had Sunday night. Roma will be looking to minutes for AC Milan from Dec. 12, 1993, Palermo. proven his worth. keep up the pressure on the top two and to Feb 27, 1994, beating the previous mark Novellino worked under Zamparini at “Zlatan played a match in keeping with what he’s done this boost its claim for third and the final set by former Juventus goalkeeper Dino Venezia - winning promotion to Serie A - season,” the former France defender told reporters in his post- Champions League spot when it visits Zoff in 1972-73 by 26 minutes. and is one of the few not to have been match press conference. “You always have doubts because it’s Udinese on Sunday. If Juventus keeps a clean sheet against fired by him. Palermo is winless in its past Ligue 1. That’s the truth. You ask if he can play like that in the After seven successive wins, Roma is Sassuolo, Buffon will match Rossi’s 22-year nine matches and has fallen to 17th, one Champions League. He gave his response tonight. “He has five points below Napoli and three above record by not conceding in the first three point above the relegation zone. important qualities for us. He moves the two centre-backs Fiorentina, which hosts bottom club Hellas minutes in the following weekend’s derby around in the opposing team. “Technically he sees things very Verona. Inter is two points further back match at Torino. Between those two Relegation six pointer quickly. When he drops deep-which we ask him to do-he and welcomes Bologna Saturday. Also this matches, Juventus visits Bayern Munich in Carpi and Frosinone have started helps put our game in place. He played a great match like lots weekend, it’s: Empoli vs Sampdoria; the last 16 of the Champions League. It believing in the great escape as they inch of PSG players tonight, like pretty much the whole team. Chievo Verona vs AC Milan; Carpi vs. drew 2-2 with the German side in the first closer to securing a second ever season in “It won’t give him confidence as he already has huge confi- Frosinone; Genoa vs Torino; and Lazio vs leg. Serie A. Frosinone has won three of its dence in himself. But a goal and an assist will do him well, and Atalanta. Here are a few things to know past six matches to move to within a point the coach and the club get the benefit.” Chelsea’s interim about Serie A this weekend: Managerial merry-go-round of safety, while Carpi is four points further manager Guus Hiddink also heralded Ibrahimovic, whose con- It’s all change again at Palermo. Walter back following three successive draws. tract expires at the end of the season, when he was asked if Unbeatable Buffon Novellino has confirmed he has reached Carpi hosts Frosinone on Sunday the 34-year-old could cut it in the Premier League. Much of Juve’s run of impressive an agreement to become the struggling before facing the other side in the bottom “He’s proving already many, many years what kind of play- results has been down to its invincibility at club’s eighth coach this season after three, Verona, the following week. Two er he is,” said the Dutchman, who lost goal-scorer Diego Costa the back. Juventus hasn’t conceded in Giuseppe Iachini left for the second time victories could catapult it out of the rele- and Eden Hazard to injury in the second half. “He’s a personal- nine successive league matches and goal- following a row with controversial presi- gation zone. A win for Frosinone this ity, he’s the boss in this team and they use him perfectly. “He’s keeper Gianluigi Buffon will be minutes dent Maurizio Zamparini. weekend would also boost its chances and not the youngest, but for his age, for a footballer he’s doing away from setting a new Serie A record if Counting caretakers, Palermo have had likely consign Carpi to going straight back very well. He can adapt himself, also through his big personal- his side makes it a 10th against Sassuolo. six different coaches this season: Iachini down. — AP ity, in any league in Europe.” Chelsea ‘in transition’ With Chelsea 10 points below the top four in the Premier US down Germany to League, they face next season being almost certainly their first without Champions League football since Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003. win four-nation cup Tomorrow’s FA Cup quarter-final at Everton represents their last potential path to silverware this season and Hiddink said MIAMI: The United States came from nucleus of the team which was victori- It was the 26-year-old Morgan’s 64th the club’s hierarchy would need to think hard about their next behind to defeat Germany 2-1 and win ous in the World Cup last year. international goal. Four minutes later managerial appointment. the inaugural SheBelieves Cup on Five of their line-up-Carli Lloyd, and Mewis made it 2-1 when her shot “Chelsea is now in a transition period,” said Hiddink, who Wednesday in a repeat of last year’s Hope Solo, Morgan, Becky Sauerbrunn from distance bobbled on the uneven has returned last season’s Premier League champions to an FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-final and Tobin Heath-had played more than playing surface and beat Almuth Schult even keel after succeeding the sacked Jose Mourinho in battle. Alex Morgan and Sam Mewis 100 internationals each. That core of in the Germany goal. scored first-half goals for the American experience proved vital after the hosts The victory extended a remarkable December. “They have to see how to go on and try to regain women after the hosts had been fell behind to Mittag’s thunderous run of results for the American women, the lost terrain where Chelsea used to be. Chelsea must con- rocked by a 30th-minute Anja Mittag right-footed strike after half an hour. who are unbeaten in 2016 as they build sider its short future, how to handle this.” strike as Germany took the lead in Boca The goal ended a run of 781 minutes towards the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Hazard was booed off by some fans after sustaining a hip Raton, Florida. without conceding a goal for the in- where they will seek to defend their injury and also came under fire on social media for swap- Victory meant the US women fin- form US team. However, the hosts got 2012 crown. ping shirts at half-time with PSG winger Angel di Maria, but ished the four-nation tournament on back on level terms in the 37th minute In the day’s other game, England Hiddink refused to condemn him.