WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2016 SPORTS Lukaku reaping benefits of Koeman’s clarity LONDON: Everton striker Romelu Lukaku League goals this season, equalling his son. He was clear in his idea-there is a “When the manager called me during “I told him I am not a guy that is has credited manager Ronald Koeman’s best start to a league campaign after 10 real clarity about what he wants on the the European Championship I told him going to cause any problems. I am a guy clear and concise approach for helping games. “He is really helping me a lot with pitch. That helps me.” how I felt,” the Belgium international said. who has to be at 100 percent and that is him get off to a fast start this season and a lot of clinical advice,” Lukaku told Lukaku, who was strongly linked with “I was surprised how honest he was what I am going to do. He knew it says it was the Dutchman’s honesty that British media. a return to former club Chelsea during with me. He was honest in the way that straight away.” convinced him to stay at Goodison Park. “He was really clear in what he want- the close season, said a call from Koeman he wanted to work and how he wanted Everton, who are sixth in the league, The 23-year-old has scored seven and ed to improve. Also the consistency. He in the summer had convinced him he had the team to play ... He saw me as an face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on assisted on three of Everton’s 15 Premier has told me off only one time this sea- an important role to play at the club. important figure and a big character. Saturday. — Reuters Leicester among sides with last 16 in sight PARIS: AFP Sports looks ahead in today’s ed Borussia Dortmund also win. Zinedine Champions League action with reigning cham- Zidane’s men warmed up for this game with a pions Real Madrid, Juventus, Borussia 4-1 win at Alaves in which Cristiano Ronaldo Dortmund and debutants Leicester City all bagged a hat-trick. They are top of La Liga, looking to clinch places in the last 16 with two unbeaten in 15 games this season and have games to spare. scored 24 times in their last five matches. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is just two goals away Group E from reaching a century in European competi- At Monaco tion. Pepe is out, but it is set to be a daunting Monaco (FRA) v CSKA Moscow (RUS) task for Legia, who are currently sixth in their Monaco top the group and remain unbeat- domestic league. en, so a win at home to the Russian champions will all but secure their place in the last 16. Group G Leonardo Jardim’s side, who snatched a draw At Copenhagen in Moscow last time out thanks to Bernardo FC Copenhagen (DEN) v Leicester City (ENG) Silva’s late equaliser, come into the game sit- The Leicester City fairytale can reach the ting in second place in Ligue 1. They are also Champions League knockout phase if the the most prolific side in any of Europe’s lead- shock English champions get a result at ing leagues along with Barcelona, with both Copenhagen, who have four points so far. One teams having netted 30 goals so far. That is of only three teams in the competition on full despite Monaco having loaned giant Ivorian points from the opening three games, the feel- striker Lacina Traore to CSKA-he scored for the ing is that coach Claudio Ranieri is focusing on Russians in the reverse fixture. CSKA could be Europe. A win in Denmark will secure a place on the brink of elimination if they lose and in the last 16, and they warmed up with a 1-1 form is not on their side. They have won just draw at Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend. one of their last eight matches in all competi- They travel to Denmark with their Danish inter- tions and have been beaten eight times in national goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in their last nine away group games in the exceptional form. Copenhagen, who had gone Champions League. Meanwhile, their goal- 23 games without defeat before losing 1-0 in keeper Igor Akinfeev is looking to end a run of the reverse fixture, come into the match still 40 consecutive Champions League games unbeaten domestically and six points clear at without keeping a clean sheet. CSKA are with- the top of their league. out the suspended Roman Eremenko, while STOKE: Swansea City’s Neil Taylor, top, and Stoke City’s Marko Arnautovic battle for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match Alan Dzagoev is a doubt. At Oporto, Portugal between Stoke City and Swansea City at the Bet365 Stadium, Stoke, England, Monday. — AP Porto (POR) v Club Brugge (BEL) At London The 2004 champions Porto are locked in a Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) v Bayer battle with Copenhagen for a place in the next Bony back among the Leverkusen (GER) round with the pair on four points. After win- Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham will be ning 2-1 in Belgium with a late penalty, the looking to end a five-game winless run when home side badly need another result here. They they entertain Leverkusen in a crucial contest are second in their domestic league, five points goals in Stoke win at Wembley. Spurs have had four draws and behind leaders Benfica, after drawing 0-0 at one defeat in all competitions since beating Vitoria Setubal at the weekend. He may have Manchester City a month ago. That sequence drawn a blank in that match but striker Andre five points from 10 matches. It is also the first Stoke suffered a blow in the 26th minute as includes a 0-0 draw in Germany two weeks Silva has scored 10 goals in his last nine games time they have gone nine games without a win. Swiss playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri had to go off ago, and Tottenham need at least the same for club and country. Brugge, the runners-up in Stoke City 3 “There is no easy solution to getting confi- injured and was replaced by Egyptian youngster again to keep qualification for the last 16 in the 1978 European Cup, are on a seven-game dence back,” Swansea manager Bob Bradley told Ramadan Sobhi. Adam then conjured up anoth- their own hands. They will also be looking for a winless away streak in the competition. They Sky Sports. “When you are going through a bad er splendid effort but was this time denied by maiden victory at Wembley after losing 2-1 to have had a poor season so far but their domes- stretch you have to have belief. the other post. Monaco at England’s national stadium in their tic form has improved since their last European Swansea City 1 “It was 1-1 at half-time but we didn’t start The woodwork was proving to be a very Group E opener. Leverkusen have drawn all outing, with seven points from three games lift- the second half in a way that suggested we effective 12th man for the visitors as it once gain three group games so far and come into the ing them to fifth in the Belgian league. could win the game,” added the former United came to the rescue after Allen’s astute pass match on the back of a 2-1 win at Wolfsburg at STOKE-ON-TRENT: Ivory Coast striker Wilfried States coach, who has picked up just one point found Marko Arnautovic, who rounded goal- the weekend that ended their own run of four Group H Bony ended a 10-month goal drought with a from three games in charge after replacing keeper Lukasz Fabianski only to see his effort matches without a victory. Harry Kane is on At Seville, Spain brace against former club Swansea City as Stoke Francesco Guidolin. cannon back off an upright. the sidelines for Spurs while Joel Pohjanpalo Sevilla (ESP) v Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) City’s revival continued with a 3-1 win in Stoke are unbeaten in five matches and Bony blazed over after being teed up by and Karim Bellarabi are absent for the visitors. Serial Europa League winners Sevilla are Monday’s Premier League clash. climb to 12th, five points clear of the relegation Arnautovic at the start of the second half but 19- level top of Group H alongside Juventus and Both goals for the 27-year-old Manchester zone, while Swansea are second from bottom year-old Sobhi was the creator as the hosts Group F tackle pointless Croatians Dinamo Zagreb, City loanee were set up by another former and five points adrift of safety. It took less than restored their advantage in the 55th minute. At Dortmund, Germany who lost 3-0 and 4-0 to Lyon and Juventus Swansea favourite, Joe Allen, with Alfie Mawson three minutes for Bony to make his mark, Sobhi produced a delightful piece of skill Borussia Dortmund (GER) respectively before going down 1-0 at home also putting through his own net as Stoke pouncing to prod home from inside the six- inside the box after a superb pass from Irish vet- v Sporting Lisbon (POR) to Sevilla two weeks ago. Fourth in the Spanish claimed a third win on the bounce. yard box after Allen’s mishit half-volley for his eran Glenn Whelan and his shot was diverted Dortmund have started strongly in Group F league, Sevilla have scored just two goals to “It is crazy that my first goals come against first goal in 23 matches for club and country.