THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 SPORTS Roma grind out 2-1 win at battling Qarabag BAKU: Roma ended its poor away “We should have finished it off in the the visitors a seventh minute lead underside of the bar on its way in. Eusebio Di Francesco brought on record in the Champions League with a first half, instead we conceded the goal when goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic poor- It was Dzeko’s sixth goal in his past experienced midfielder Daniele De labored 2-1 victory at Qarabag yester- and we suffered. But at the end we got ly punched a corner straight at four matches. However, Roma paid the Rossi in an attempt to gain more con- day. Kostas Manolas and Edin Dzeko the three points.” Lorenzo Pellegrini, who volleyed it in price for its complacency when trol of the match. gave Roma a comfortable 2-0 lead Though Roma had only won one of for Manolas’ diving header. Maxime Gonalons was caught in pos- The home side almost snatched an inside the opening quarter of an hour, its past 13 matches on its travels in Roma doubled its advantage eight session by Dino Ndlovu who sent in a equalizer in the final minute but but Pedro Henrique reduced the deficit the competition, beating Basel in minutes later with a well-worked move through ball for Henrique to blast into Ndlovu headed just past the left post. in the 28th minute with Qarabag’s first 2009, it was hopeful of ending that that ended with Stephan El Shaarawy the back of the net. Atletico Madrid, which drew 0-0 at ever goal in the Champions League. run against Qarabag, which had been flicking a cross into the area. Dzeko Qarabag dominated possession in Roma in the opening round, hosts “In this match it was more important humiliated 6 -0 at Chelsea in the chested the ball down before lifting it the second half but never really Chelsea later in the other Group C to win than to play well,” Dzeko said. opening round. Qarabag duly gifted above Sehic - with his shot clipping the threatened, although Roma coach match. —AP Higuain lifts Juventus to win over Olympiakos TURIN: Gonzalo Higuain got Juventus’s life for the hosts late in the first half. Silvio Champions League campaign off the mark Proto did well in goal in place of Greek coming on a substitute to lift last year’s international Stefanos Kapino, banished finalists to a 2-0 Group D win over after the AEK defeat. Olympiakos yesterday. Massimiliano And the Belgian kept the visitors net Allegri’s side needed to reignite their unbreached faced with a dangerous European campaign after falling 3-0 to Juventus onslaught in the last 15 minutes Barcelona in Spain two weeks ago. And of the first half. Juventus star Paulo Dybala Higuain hit back after being dropped by failed to add to his tally of 12 goals this sea- Allegri by opening the scoring after 69 min- son, sending a couple of free-kicks into the utes and having a hand in Mario wall. The hosts missed two quickfire Mandzukic’s second on 80 minutes at the chances on 34 minutes when Juan Allianz Arena. Cuadrado crossed to Mandzukic but his Juventus are now third in Group D header was flicked over by Proto, who then which is led by unbeaten Barcelona but dived to keep out Stefano Sturaro’s header behind Sporting Lisbon-who lost 1-0 at off the ensuing corner. Olympiakos were home to the Spanish side-on goal differ- very dangerous on the counter but ence. For Olympiakos a second defeat after Gianluigi Buffon had his first save on 41 their opener to Sporting leaves them rock minutes from a Felipe Pardo angled shot. bottom. Juventus had a double chance to break the Olympiakos coach Takis Lemonis was deadlock just before half-time when Proto parachuted in two days ago for his fourth again dived to stop Dybala, and spell after Albanian Besnik Hasi was sacked Olympiakos narrowly avoided an own goal after a derby collapse to AEK. But despite when Alex Sandro’s cross from the left was the turmoil within their squad Olympiakos accidentally deflected off the post by Bjorn proved more than a more than a match Engels. early for the hosts in Turin. Higuain proved decisive when he came Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic on after an hour in northern Italy. Sandro pulled out in the warm-up for Juventus crossed to to the Argentine whose first with Higuain dropped for the second game effort was blocked, but his second beat in a row, moving Mandzukic to the centre- Proto for his third goal of the season. forward role, before the Argentine came on Higuain also had a hand in the second goal for the last 30 minutes. Olympiakos pinned when the Argentine played in Dybala back the six-time successive Serie A cham- before the Olympiakos defence knocked pions initially before the game sprung to the ball into Mandzukic’s path. —AFP LISBON: Barcelona’s Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez (L) kicks the ball during the UEFA Champions League Group D football match Sporting CP vs FC Barcelona at the Jose Alvalade stadium in Lisbon yesterday. — AFP Unlucky Coates gifts Barca win at Sporting LISBON: Sebastian Coates scored an unfortu- one goal away from 100 in European competi- yellow card. Dutch international Bas Dost, who nate second-half own goal to gift Barcelona a 1- tion, was largely subdued during a quiet first scored a league-best 34 goals last campaign, 0 victory away to Sporting Lisbon in the half in the Portuguese capital, with Cristiano replace Doumbia, but Barca broke the deadlock Champions League yesterday. The Uruguayan Piccini flashing narrowly over for Sporting on 15 early into the second half as a Messi set-piece centre-back unwittingly deflected a Lionel Messi minutes. ricocheted about the Sporting six-yard box free-kick into his own net on 49 minutes to hand Sergi Roberto slipped in Luis Suarez as Barca before trickling beyond Patricio. the Spaniards a second successive win to start finally threatened just before the half hour, but The Argentine’s curling delivery in from the Group D. the Uruguayan was denied by Rui Patricio with right brushed two Sporting heads with Suarez The five-time European champions head the the Portugal goalkeeper then holding well from then nodding the ball against Coates who could section with a maximum six points, ahead of a Messi header. only watch in horror as it dribbled over the line. both Sporting and Juventus on three, with Sporting’s Marco Acuna tested Marc-Andre Suarez unleashed a snapshot straight at Patricio Olympiakos yet to pick up a point. Ernesto ter Stegen with a low drive, but Messi gradually as Barca searched for a second, but the visitors Valverde’s Barca have proved unstoppable in La grew in influence as the interval approached. He were grateful to Ter Stegen as the Germany Liga so far, winning their opening six matches to weaved his way through the home defence on international thwarted Bruno Fernandes’ TURIN: Juventus’ midfielder from Italy Stefano Sturaro (C) fights for the ball with pull seven points clear of defending champions 43 minutes only to find an old foe, ex-Real attempt for an equaliser. Olympiacos’ Nigerian Defender Emmanuel Emenike (R) during the UEFA Champion’s Real Madrid while vanquishing Juve in their first Madrid full-back Fabio Coentrao, slide across Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder League Group D football match Juventus vs Olympiacos yesterday at the Juventus group game in Europe. superbly to block his goal-bound effort. Paulinho went close to notching his third goal in stadium in Turin. — AFP Messi drew level with former long-serving Sporting lost striker Seydou Doumbia to four games late on when Patricio repelled the Barca captain Carles Puyol by making his 593rd injury prior to the break, the Ivorian seemingly Brazilian, but Barca stretched their unbeaten run appearance for the club-trailing only Andres hurting himself following a theatrical fall on the against Portuguese clubs to 15 matches dating Iniesta (637) and Xavi (767). But the Argentine, edge of the Barca penalty area that earned him a back to 1987. — AFP Celtic overcome away anxiety to beat Anderlecht Birthday boy Oberlin lifts BRUSSELS: Scottish Champions Celtic After 37 minutes in which neither enjoyed a rare away victory in their 3-0 team managed a single shot on goal, win over an uninspiring Anderlecht in Celtic flawlessly executed a counter Basel to beat Benfica 5-0 their Champions League clash in from their own half to gain the lead, Brussels yesterday, staking their claim with Leigh Griffiths converting calmly. on the third spot in Group B. Five minutes into the second half, BASEL: Young forward Dimitri Oberlin used a pion. Though losing at Man United was no sur- ed this year by the club’s new ownership - react- Ahead of the match, Celtic, Scottish Celtic scored again when a cross by special occasion to inspire Basel to a stunning 5- prise, Basel languishes in fourth place in its ing with evident relief to the early lead. Coach champions for the past six seasons, Patrick Roberts came off Anderlecht 0 win over Benfica in the Champions League home league. Raphael Wicky, in his first season of senior man- had only won once in 30 away matches defender Kara Mbodji into the net, yesterday. On his 20th birthday, the Cameroon- Television cameras caught sporting director agement at any club, punched the air wildly at in the Champions League.