Le Clos, Hosszu Riess wins tighten grasp WSOP title, on World Cup $8.4 million THURSDAY, NOVEMBER17 7, 2013 18 Heat beat Raptors as Pacers stop Pistons Page 17 SPAIN: Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi (center) vies with AC Milan’s Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong (left) and AC Milan’s midfielder Andrea Poli (right) during the UEFA Champions league football match. — AFP Messi sees Barcelona into last 16 BARCELONA: Barcelona sealed their place in Dutch champions beat the Scottish side 1-0 in Europe’s heavyweights. However, Barca boss madness from Abate as he pulled back Neymar fective Robinho at the interval and the Italian the Champions League last 16 with two games the night’s other match. Gerardo Martino showed how intent he was on inside the area and Messi converted from the international instantly brought a new dimen- to spare as Lionel Messi scored twice in their 3-1 “We knew the Messi thing was just a ques- sewing up qualification as he named his spot for his fifth Champions League goal of the sion to the Milan attack with a fierce low drive win over AC Milan at the Camp Nou yesterday. tion of games because he is incomparable and strongest available side with the fit-again campaign. that Victor Valdes did well to handle. Messi ended his three-game run without a in front of goal he is always in form. We hope he Adriano restored at left-back. Riccardo Montolivo then had Milan’s first Milan came close again on 63 minutes as a goal as he smashed home the opener from the now doesn’t stop scoring,” Busquets told Canal Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri, meanwhile, effort on goal 10 minutes before the break with wonderful run from Balotelli took him past two penalty spot after Neymar had been felled by Plus. sprang a surprise by leaving Mario Balotelli on an angled drive that flew just past. Barca defenders and his cross was swept just Ignazio Abate. “We have achieved our objective. I think we the bench with the former Real Madrid duo of Barca went on to double their advantage six wide from Kaka. Sergio Busquets then headed home a sec- played very well in the first-half, it was just a Robinho and Kaka starting instead in attack. minutes before half-time though when Xavi’s Neymar so nearly then produced one of the ond, but Milan were handed a lifeline just shame to concede the own goal. “We played Both Brazilians were largely isolated in the first free-kick was easily headed home by the goals of the season as he waltzed past four before half-time when Gerard Pique turned quite a complete match, although we had a few half though as Barcelona controlled proceed- unmarked Busquets. Milan players only to skew his shot just wide, Kaka’s cross into his own net. problems in the second-half. Now we are in a ings. Xavi Hernandez pulled an early free-kick Adriano forced Abbiati into a finger-tip save and seconds later Abbiati produced an incredi- However, Messi made the game safe seven good position.” just wide before Neymar ought to have scored moments later as Barca threatened to run riot, ble low stop to turn Alexis Sanchez’s effort from minutes from the end when he dinked the ball An eighth meeting between the sides in just when played in by Messi, but he took a heavy but incredibly Milan got back in the game with point-blank range behind as Barca upped the home from Cesc Fabregas’ pass. Defeat still the past three seasons meant there was a more touch and allowed Christian Abbiati to smother. the last kick of the half when Pique turned pace. And Messi did finally seal the three points leaves Milan in second place in Group H, a point subdued atmosphere than would normally be Milan’s defensive resistence was finally Kaka’s cut-back into his own net. with a cool finish into the roof of the net after a ahead of Ajax and two clear of Celtic after the expected for a meeting between two of undone on the half-hour mark by a moment of Allegri then introduced Balotelli for the inef- wonderful one-two with Fabregas. — AFP Chelsea close in on knockout phase LONDON: Chelsea shook an unexpected loss Samuel Eto’o the opening goal with a dreadful draw at home to Steaua Bucharest in the oth- to Newcastle United out of their system by error and the Chelsea striker claimed a second er group game took some of the sting out of overcoming Schalke 3-0 yesterday to close on shortly after half-time before substitute defeat for Jens Keller’s Schalke. a place in the Champions League knockout Demba Ba added a late third. Mourinho had threatened to make “11 phase. It was a repeat of the scoreline from when changes” after the 2-0 loss at Newcastle; in the The London club had seen a six-game win- the sides met in Gelsenkirchen two weeks ago end he restricted himself to six, with Gary ning run ended at St James’ Park on Saturday, and it left Jose Mourinho’s side three points Cahill, Cesar Azpilicueta, John Mikel Obi, but they got back on track by reasserting their clear of Schalke at the top of the group with Willian, Andre Schurrle and Eto’o coming in. control of Champions League Group E with two matches to come. Schalke’s squad has been ravaged by injury their 100th victory in UEFA competition. Chelsea can now qualify for the last 16 with this season, but it was Chelsea who looked Schalke goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand gifted a draw in their next match at Basel, whose 1-1 like a team of strangers in the opening stages as the Germans went close on three occasions. Julian Draxler clipped a shot narrowly wide of the left-hand post from the edge of the box, with Adam Szalai and Christian Fuchs also threatening from distance. Chelsea settled, however, and only a sinew- straining save from Hildebrand prevented Schurrle from breaking the deadlock with a ITALY: Napoli’s midfielder Marek Hamsik of Slovakia kicks the ball in front of Marseille’s venomous, dipping free-kick. Cameroonian defender Nicolas Nkoulou (left) during an UEFA Champions League Group F football Sadly for the German goalkeeper, his next match. —AFP contribution would prove far more memo- rable, and for all the wrong reasons. Higuain brace sinks Marseille The 34-year-old inexplicably took an age lining up a long kick, allowing Eto’o to ghost in MILAN: A Gonzalo Higuain brace helped Napoli to a net. Barely 14 minutes later, however, Marseille were from wide on the Chelsea left and block the 3-2 win over Marseille yesterday as the Italians already trailing. ball the moment it left his foot, sending it moved up to second place in Champions League Inler chested down a loose ball 20 yards from rolling into the net. Group F. goal and fired a precision volley past flailing It was Eto’o’s first goal in the competition Marseille came to the San Paolo still without a Marseille ‘keeper Steve Mandanda in the 22nd for Chelsea and he tested Hildebrand again point having lost their opening three games in the minute. And Napoli then took the lead on the break before half-time with a volley that skidded off section, including a 2-1 defeat at home to Rafael moments later when Marseille were caught in pos- Benitez’s Serie A side last month. session in midfield. When the ball found its way to the turf. Andre Ayew gave Elie Baup’s men an early lead, Goran Pandev, the Macedonian’s header came off There was an early warning for Chelsea in but Napoli hit back to lead at the interval thanks to the head of Souleymane Diawara and fell to the second half, Petr Cech brilliantly palming a strikes by Gokhan Inler and Higuain in the space of Higuain, who smashed a low drive into the net. left-foot shot from Draxler around his right- two minutes. Florian Thauvin pulled Marseille level Marseille were fired up at the start of the second hand post, but in the 54th minute the hosts just after the hour mark as Marseille enjoyed a dom- half but Jordan Ayew’s cross was just too high for extended their lead. If Eto’o’s first goal was for- inant spell, but the visitors were caught out when a Mathieu Valbuena and while Thauvin threatened tuitous, his second was superb, with Willian low Dries Mertens cross was turned in by Higuain at with a drive, it was off target. stealing past Fuchs and squaring the ball to the back post to make it 3-2. Just before the hour Baup replaced Valbuena the Cameroonian, who finished with aplomb. Napoli’s third win in four group games lifted the with Dimitri Payet, and he had a direct role in Hildebrand did his best to shrug off the Italians up to second, level on points with Arsenal, Marseille’s leveller, crossing for Thauvin who who lead the section after winning 1-0 win away to sneaked in behind Pablo Armero at the back post to taunts from the Chelsea fans behind his goal Borussia Dortmund in the night’s other game. bundle the ball past a stunned Pepe Reina. by saving from Schurrle, but Ba had the final Pre-match reports centred on the huge police Three minutes later, Benitez replaced Pandev say with an adroit left-foot volley from fellow presence in Naples to contain the threat of possible with Marek Hamsik and the Slovakian played an substitute Frank Lampard’s pass.