THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016 SPORTS Happy days are here again as Wolfsburg turn season around MUNICH: When Kevin De Bruyne left for licly throw their support behind the pair, last four consecutive Champions League Manchester City at the start of the season saying they needed some time to settle matches. Despite missing several players for a German record fee of about 80 mil- in and the performances would come. through injury, including their top scorer lion euros ($87.72 million), many were Draxler started delivering last month of last season Bas Dost, Hecking’s team quick to write off VfL Wolfsburg’s chances with two goals in the 3-2 win at Belgium’s managed to beat the Belgians twice for a of another successful campaign. Gent in the first leg of the Champions fully deserved last eight spot. The diminutive Belgian had played a League round of 16 tie. “I am happy that we fought our way key role in their German Cup victory and Schuerrle picked up in Tuesday’s through this,” said Draxler. “For us it is runners-up spot in the Bundesliga last return leg, scoring a 74th minute winner such a great story because there were season before also helping them clinch to send his team to the first ever some people who did not think we could the German Super Cup against Bayern Champions League quarter-final and do much in this competition.” Munich in August. hand them their biggest European suc- “This will also give us a push in the The hugely talented Julian Draxler, cess to date with a 4-2 aggregate win. Bundesliga, where we are not where we signed from Schalke 04 for 35 million “It is not an everyday occurrence that would like to be at this stage.” euros, and Andre Schuerrle, in his first full you reach the last four in the Champions With European heavyweights await- season at the Wolves, were supposed to League,” a beaming Schuerrle told ing in the next round, Wolfsburg are plug the gap left by De Bruyne. reporters. “It is something big, something guaranteed a tougher draw than this Neither was hitting top form regularly, historic for the VfL. It does every one of time around. “Reaching the last four? though, and the fans grew antsy as the us a lot of good.” Certainly there are some teams where season looked destined to be a flop, with Wolfsburg have rediscovered their this is going to be very hard,” Wolfsburg Wolfsburg managing just one league vic- winning form at just the right time. They WOLFSBURG: Wolfsburg’s striker Andre Schuerrle (L) celebrates after scoring sports director Klaus Allofs said. “But tory from the end of November until the have now won their last two league the 1-0 as Gent’s Brazilian defender Rafinha looks on during the second-leg there are some others against whom you start of March. Club officials and coach matches to climb back into seventh place round of 16 UEFA Champions league football match between VfL Wolfsburg and can have a chance if you play at your Dieter Hecking repeatedly had to pub- and European contention as well as their KAA Gent. — AFP very best.” — Reuters No Europa League shame for Van Gaal MANCHESTER: Louis van Gaal has suggested that anyone who derides Manchester United and Liverpool for being in the Europa League is living in the past. The English giants have been champions of Europe eight times between them-Liverpool on five occasions, United three - but now find themselves facing each other in Europe’s secondary club compe- tition. Van Gaal though has dismissed sug- gestions that it is a sign that the bitter rivals are in decline, claiming instead that all clubs go through troughs at some stage. Liverpool failed to qualify for the Champions League after finishing sixth domestically last season, while United were eliminated at the group stage in December. PORTLAND: Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) gets a round a pick set by for- But Van Gaal said Wednesday: “How many ward Markieff Morris (5) on Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) during the titles have Liverpool and how many titles first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Portland, Ore., Tuesday. — AP have Manchester United? It was another time. You live in the past. You live in the past. You Lillard has 41 as Blazers have to live in the present. “This happens in football. It’s normal. It’s beat Wizards 116-109 in OT not normal that one team dominates for 20 years in a row as champions,” the Dutchman PORTLAND: Damian Lillard had 41 points ished with 18 points and nine rebounds. added. United’s manager insisted that English and 11 assists, and the Portland Trail Blazers Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with 22 football as a whole is as strong as ever, with snapped a three-game losing streak with a points, and Derrick Favors scored 16. Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal all mak- 116-109 overtime victory over the ing the knockout stages of this season’s Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. It RAPTORS 104, NETS 99 Champions League, while Tottenham Hotspur MANCHESTER: Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, left, and assistant manager Ryan was Lillard’s 15th straight game with 20- DeMar DeRozan had 25 points for are also still involved in European competi- Giggs share a joke during a training session at their training ground in Manchester England plus points, the second-longest streak in Toronto, and Kyle Lowry added 23 points tion. “Other teams are playing in the yesterday. After decades of playing on Europe’s highest stage, Manchester United and the NBA behind Kevin Durant’s 48. CJ and nine assists. Brook Lopez had 35 Champions League. You are talking about Liverpool have fallen on hard times on the field and reignite their rivalry this week at a level McCollum added 18 points for Portland, points, one shy of his season high, for the Manchester United and Liverpool, and we are they wouldn’t have expected to meet. In the eyes of English soccer, the Europa League is a which moved into sixth place in the Nets, who lost the season series to the happy to play in the Europa League, but City, much-maligned competition - a poor relation to the lucrative Champions League and a gruel- Western Conference. John Wall had 20 Raptors for the first time since 2009-10. The Chelsea and Arsenal are still in the Champions ing slog that damages performances on the domestic front. — AP points and 11 assists for the Wizards, who Raptors rallied from a 16-point halftime have lost three straight. Ramon Sessions deficit to get back on track at home after League,” he said. “Six clubs are representing not thinking like that. I am thinking that they Champions League if they won the Europa added 21 points off the bench, while their franchise-record, 12-game home win the Premier League. You have to be very are the opponent. We want to beat the oppo- League and that represents a significant Marcin Gortat had 19 points and 10 streak ended Sunday against Houston. The proud of that because not many countries nent. “For the fans, it’s a bigger something, opportunity to regain a place in top European rebounds. Wall hit a 3-pointer with 15 sec- Raptors got within two courtesy of a 22-9 have so many clubs participating at that high but for me, no. I want to win every game. competition. Their hopes of doing so by fin- onds left in regulation to give Washington run over the final 5:55 of the third quarter a level.” When we win against West Bromwich Albion, ishing in the Premier League’s top four are in a 104-102 lead, but McCollum hit a pull-up and finally jumped in front on Patrick I’m very pleased. When we lose, and we have the balance, as they lie sixth in the table. jumper with 5.4 seconds to go to tie it at Patterson’s 3-pointer to open the fourth. ENEMY lost, I am very disappointed. Chris Smalling, a member of the United 104. The game went to overtime when Van Gaal has played down talk that the “I want to win every game and we prepare team who failed to qualify for the Champions Gerald Henderson swatted away Gortat’s LAKERS 107, MAGIC 98 heated rivalry between Liverpool and United ourselves to beat the opponent. It does not League two seasons ago, does not want to fall attempted layup. D’Angelo Russell scored 27 points, Jordan adds extra significance to a two-legged tie depend on whether we play Liverpool or West short again. Clarks added 24 and the Lakers won con- that begins with a match at Anfield on Bromwich Albion, who we lost to. “It is also a “We’ve still got a lot of games to play in the SPURS 116, TIMBERWOLVES 91 secutive games for the second time since Thursday, saying Sunday’s 1-0 Premier League big disappointment for us that we lost against league, and we have another route in the LaMarcus Aldridge had 29 points and Jan. 3. Julius Randle matched his career high defeat at West Bromwich Albion was just as West Bromwich Albion. When we win against Europa League to make sure that doesn’t hap- seven rebounds to help San Antonio with 23 points and had 11 rebounds in the significant to him. Liverpool, I am very happy, but not more hap- pen again,” the defender said.