2 WSOP finalists Nadal close to set to play for sealing top $8.4m crown spot after beating Ferrer WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER15 6, 2013 17 Barca missing Messi’s mojo before Milan clash Page 18 ITALY: Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli (left) fights for the ball with Real Madrid’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (right) during a UEFA Champions League Group B football match. — AFP Juve hope after draw against Real TURIN: Juventus gave fresh hope to their ly found their feet and held a 1-0 lead at the to shake up the Spanish giants. finally pointed to the spot, amid protests from tors were unlucky when Xabu Alonso smashed a Champions League campaign with a thrilling 2-2 interval after Arturo Vidal’s 42nd minute spot kick The Frenchman’s deft shot-cum-pass with the Real, after Varane made contact with Pogba, who drive off the crossbar minutes later. draw against Real Madrid after Cristiano following a foul on Paul Pogba by fellow outside of his right foot was blocked by Pepe, tumbled to the left of goal to hand juve a lifeline. Just as belief began creeping back among the Ronaldo and Gareth Bale had put the Spaniards Frenchman Raphael Varane. However Real but left Casillas panicking as Llorente lingered Vidal gave Casillas no chance, smashing the Bianconeri fans, following a dangerous Pogba within sight of a fourth consecutive group win in turned the match in eight second-half minutes before the ball was cleared. ball into the top right-hand corner. Juve endured pass across goal which Casillas blocked, Real Turin yesterday. with Ronaldo chipping Buffon to level and then Casillas then somehow kept out Claudio a nervous end to the half, a Bale corner causing a took the lead in clinical fashion. Juventus remain third in Group B but follow- Bale beating the Italian ‘keeper with a clinical Marchisio’s header near the back post following scare and a first-time effort from Ronaldo follow- Bale picked up Ronaldo’s pass and turned ing FC Copenhagen’s 1-0 home win over shot after sidestepping Kwadwo Asamoah on the Tevez’s precision cross from the left. ing Marcelo’s weighted cut-back going high over Asamoah to send a smart left-foot strike inside Galatasaray, Antonio Conte’s men now trail the hour mark. At the other end Bale sent an angled drive the bar. the Buffon’s near post. Juve, however, were Turks by just one point with two games to play. Ronaldo gave an early warning with an just wide of Buffon’s far post and, as Real’s frustra- Carlo Ancelotti’s men continued as they had back on level terms minutes later, Caceres Conte sent out a similar set-up to the one angled strike that inched just past outstretched tion grew, Luka Modric picked up a caution for a left off, pressing Juve from the restart and being making amends for his earlier blunder with a deployed in the 2-1 defeat at the Santiago ‘keeper Gianluigi Buffon’s far post after giving foul from behind on Pogba that will rule him out rewarded when Caceres blundered with a curling cross which Llorente headed past Bernabeu, with Fernando Llorente partnering Ghanaian Asamoah the slip at left-back. of Real’s next meeting with Galatasaray. missed backpass which Ronaldo, following Casillas. Real remained a constant threat, how- Carlos Tevez at the head of a 4-3-3 — a change However Juve eventually found their feet, Referee Howard Webb looked unimpressed Benzema’s lay-off, deftly chipped over onrushing ever, and despite Juventus creating chances from the Italians’ preferred 3-5-2 formation. with Pogba-rumoured to be a target for Real and when waving away two soft penalty claims by Buffon. Ronaldo’s eighth goal of the campaign late on the Italians did well to take a share of After a shaky start the Italian champions final- several other European giants-showing great skill the hosts in the first half. But the Englishman knocked the wind from Juve’s sails, and the visi- the points. — AFP Aguero and Negredo fire Van Persie out of luck as City into knockout stage Man United held in Spain SAN SEBASTIAN: Robin Van Persie last kick of the half as his right-footed MANCHESTER: Sergio Aguero claimed a brace and after Gael Clichy miscued an attempted clearance, but missed a second-half penalty as effort curled just wide. Alvaro Negredo a hat-trick as Manchester City out- City were soon back on the front foot and saw Silva rip- Manchester United edged towards the Hernandez then somehow conspired classed CSKA Moscow 5-2 yesterday to book a place in ple the side-netting. Champions League last-16 with a 0-0 not to give the visitors the lead five min- the Champions League knockout phase. With Silva and Samir Nasri pulling the strings, some draw away to Real Sociedad yesterday. utes after the restart when he blasted City picked up where they had left off in their 7-0 of City’s approach play was delightful, and their second The Dutch international had only Kagawa’s low cross over the bar from five demolition of Norwich City at the weekend, with goal, in the 20th minute, was a fine effort. been introduced by United boss David yards. Aguero scoring twice and Negredo adding another to Nasri clipped a penetrative pass down the inside- Moyes as a substitute, but saw his spot- Kagawa then had a penalty appeal put the home side 3-0 up inside 30 minutes at the left channel and Aguero left Aleksei Berezutsky for kick come back off Claudio Bravo’s left- waved away moments later as he Etihad Stadium. dead with a superb, sharp turn before steering home hand post 20 minutes from time. clashed with Mikel Gonzalez inside the Javier Hernandez and Van Persie had area. With United still in search of a goal Defensive inattention allowed Seydou Doumbia to his eighth goal in five games. also passed up clear opportunities to put Moyes sent on Van Persie and Ashley twice reduce the arrears, but Negredo completed his Pantilimon had an anxious moment when he the visitors in front before the penalty, Young for Rooney and Hernandez just treble in the second half to send City into the last 16 for flapped at a deflected free-kick, but after Toure had but they had to see the game out with after the hour mark. the first time in the Champions League era. curled narrowly wide, Negredo touched in Aguero’s low 10 men after Marouane Felliani was And the Dutchman nearly made an Victory left Manuel Pellegrini’s side six points clear cross to make it 3-0. shown a second yellow card in stoppage instant impression as he firstly side-foot- of CSKA with two games to play in Group D, but they There was further bad news for CSKA when Ahmed time. ed Young’s low cross off the post then cannot be overtaken by the Russian champions due to Musa had to go off with an injury, but Doumbia gave Another 0-0 draw between Shakhtar flashed another effort just wide. a superior head-to-head record. the visitors a glimmer of hope when he rounded Donetsk and Bayer Leverkusen means Referee Nicola Rizzoli then incensed CSKA, who were hit with a partial stadium ban by Pantilimon to pull a goal back in first-half stoppage United continue to lead the Germans by the home fans when he pointed to the UEFA for racist chanting aimed at City midfielder Yaya time. City were quick to restore their three-goal advan- a point with the two sides set to meet in spot for a very soft pull on Young by Toure in the reverse fixture, are left to scrap over a tage in the second half, however. In the 51st minute Leverkusen in three weeks time. Moyes Markel Bergara. However, the hosts were Europa League place with Czech side Viktoria Pilsen. Toure floated a delicate pass over the top of the CSKA was without the injured duo of Jonny handed a reprieve when Van Persie’s City manager Pellegrini kept faith with the team that defence and Nasri knocked a volleyed pass into the Evans and Rafael da Silva, whilst teenage fiercely struck spot-kick came back off sensation Adnan Januzaj was also let out the post. had annihilated Norwich on Saturday, which meant path of Negredo for the Spaniard to walk in his second of the squad and Van Persie dropped to And Sociedad nearly made the most that Joe Hart was once again on the bench with sec- goal. Silva departed to a standing ovation with 25 min- the bench with Sunday’s meeting of it when Xabi Prieto’s drive was turned ond-choice goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon in goal. utes remaining, but once again City were guilty of pre- against his old club Arsenal in goalwards by Carlos Vela but flew inches CSKA were missing a number of first-team players senting their opponents with a foothold in the game. mind.However, United still started the past the post. due to injury, including Alan Dzagoev, Vasili Berezutsky Clichy was at fault on this occasion, hauling better of a largely lifeless first-half. Shinji Antonio Valencia’s effort was cleared and Mario Fernandes, and there were less than three Doumbia down after being nutmegged on the left- Kagawa had the best opening with an off his own goal line by Gonzalez as the minutes on the clock when they fell behind.