SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2017 SPORTS Suarez nets 2 in Barca win marred by Vidal injury BARCELONA: Barcelona’s big three of Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic, who also scored. the road later. Madrid also has two pension. Because the Basque club had between Pacheco’s legs after he stole Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, and Neymar “At first glance (Vidal’s injury) looked games in hand, against Valencia and no answer for Suarez yesterday. Suarez the ball from Carlos Vigaray near Alaves’ led a 6-0 rout at Alaves that was marred very ugly. We hope it turns out not to be Celta Vigo. opened the scoring in the 37th minute goal in the second half. by an injury to defender Aleix Vidal in that bad.” Besides his brace, Suarez played a when he completed a beautiful team Alaves wilted when Ruano knocked the Spanish league yesterday. Suarez struck twice to continue his part in two more goals, while defender buildup that quickly moved the ball in an own goal trying to stop Messi after Vidal was carried off in the final min- excellent scoring form with 10 goals in Alexis Ruano added an own goal on a from left to right of the attack before Suarez set him up. Suarez started a utes after he hurt his right lower leg fol- his last nine appearances across all com- dismal day for the hosts. Suarez was left to fire in Aleix Vidal’s low counterattack that produced Rakitic’s lowing a collision with opponent Theo petitions. He is on pace to repeat as the Alaves will have more than three cross. Suarez’s hustle helped double the strike, and Suarez took his second goal Hernandez. After barely playing in the La Liga’s leading scorer with 18, followed months to prepare for its next meeting advantage in the 40th when goalkeeper two minutes later when he blasted in a first half of the season, Vidal earned a closely by Messi with 17. with the European powerhouse in the Fernando Pacheco swatted a ball off rebound. Real Betis striker Ruben Castro spot in Luis Enrique’s rotation in recent Barcelona took over the league lead Copa del Rey final on May 27. At least Suarez’s head. The ball bounced right to hit the post early on in scoreless stale- weeks. “It was a good result, but one we from Real Madrid. Madrid can restore its Alaves can count on Suarez not playing Neymar to tap in. mate that increased the winless streaks can’t celebrate very much,” said place at the top by beating Osasuna on in the cup final due to a one-game sus- Messi drilled a left-footed shot of both teams.— AP Goalkeepers on top as Boro, Everton draw Robles. Everton left-back Leighton Baines was then obliged to clear a header from Middlesbrough 0 Ben Gibson off the line. Valdes came to Boro’s rescue again shortly after, saving with his legs after Barkley’s cross had sent Lookman scamper- Everton 0 ing towards goal. But Robles produced the save of the day with three minutes remaining, leaping to palm the ball over the bar from Gestede’s LONDON: Middlesbrough goalkeeper emphatic header. — AFP Victor Valdes and his Everton counterpart Joel Robles shared the limelight as their sides played out a 0-0 draw in the Premier League yesterday. Valdes saved sharply from the in-form Matches on TV Romelu Lukaku and Ademola Lookman, (Local Timings) while Robles produced a stunning late stop to prevent substitute Rudy Gestede giving ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Boro victory at the Riverside Stadium. Burnley v Chelsea 16:30 Everton have now gone eight games beIN SPORTS unbeaten in the league, but after four wins Swansea v Leicester 19:00 in their previous five games, this was a beIN SPORTS missed opportunity for Ronald Koeman’s side to make up ground on the teams SPANISH LEAGUE PRIMERA above them. Villarreal v Malaga 14:00 beIN SPORTS The Merseyside club remain seventh, Leganes v Sporting Gijon 18:15 while Aitor Karanka’s Middlesbrough stay beIN SPORTS 15th, two points above the relegation zone, Las Palmas v Sevilla 20:30 after an eighth successive league outing beIN SPORTS without a win. Atletico de Madrid v Vigo 22:45 beIN SPORTS Koeman made two changes from last LONDON: Arsenal’s Francis Coquelin, center, competes for the ball with Hull City’s Andrea Ranocchia, left, during the English Premier League weekend’s 6-3 win over Bournemouth, with soccer match between Arsenal and Hull City at the Emirates Stadium in London, yesterday. — AP Tom Davies and Idrissa Gueye replacing ITALIAN CALCIO LEAGUE James McCarthy and Gareth Barry, and Crotone v Roma 14:30 beIN SPORTS Davies quickly caught the eye. Inter Milano v Empoli 17:00 The 18-year-old midfielder with the beIN SPORTS Prolific Sanchez hands straggly blond hair had the first sight of Torino v Pescara 17:00 goal, but could not fashion an effort on tar- beIN SPORTS get following good work by Ross Barkley. Palermo v Atalanta 17:00 On the half hour he won the ball back in beIN SPORTS Sassuolo v Chievo Verona 17:00 victory to Arsenal midfield and set Lukaku clear on goal, only for Valdes to thwart the Belgium striker- beIN SPORTS who scored four times against Sampdoria v Bologna 20:00 beIN SPORTS Bournemouth-with a save low to his left. to settle the debate over Arsene Wenger’s future must be tough for him, but often decisions don’t Cagliari v Juventus 22:45 after days of uncertainty about whether he will go your way when you come to these big stadi- With Everton monopolising possession, beIN SPORTS Arsenal 2 Boro were obliged to play on the counter- remain in charge next season. ums.” Oumar Niasse twice went close for an attack. They looked poised to exploit a GERMAN BUNDESLIGA The manager completed his four-match enterprising Hull side, who had Sam Clucas sent promising breakaway in the 13th minute, Wolfsburg v Hoffenheim 17:30 touchline ban by watching from the stands and off for conceding the injury-time penalty from beIN SPORTS was delighted to see Sahchez pop up on the line which Sanchez scored his 17th league goal-and but Adam Forshaw failed to pick out either Hull City 0 Adama Traore or the recalled Cristhian Freiburg v Koln 19:30 for the opener on 34 minutes. But the goal was fourth against Hull-this season. Stuani with his pass. beIN SPORTS controversial, with the ball going in inadvertent- Asked if Arsenal had been fortunate, Wenger Lookman, 19, kept his place in Everton’s ly off the Chilean’s hand after popping up from a said: “Maybe. Sorry for that but I cannot influ- FRENCH LEAGUE LONDON: Two goals from Alexis Sanchez, one of goalline save by Hull keeper Eldin Jakupovic. ence that. I felt we were resilient, focused. starting XI and he began to show late in the Stade Rennes v Nice 17:00 first half, seeing an effort blocked and then which was scored with his hand, earned Arsenal Afterwards Hull defender Andrew Robertson “It was not easy against a good side. There was beIN SPORTS a workmanlike 2-0 win over Hull City yesterday said referee Mark Clattenburg apologised for not an edgy atmosphere but as a player you have to lashing a strike into the side-netting. Saint Etienne v Lorient 19:00 Boro posed more of an attacking threat and halted their run of two successive Premier disallowing the goal when he saw the halftime cope with that.” Wenger was non-committal beIN SPORTS League defeats. in the second half, Traore bursting past a Nantes v Marseille 23:00 replay. “The referee apologised to us after half- about his future. “I have big respect for this coun- posse of defenders and flashing a shot beIN SPORTS But the result, which lifted them to third in time and said it was a handball,” said Robertson. try and this club and I am grateful because I have wide before Stuani headed straight at the table, was far from convincing and did little “He obviously realises he was in the wrong. It worked here for 20 years,” he said. —Reuters Allen strike freezes Last-gasp Robben, Vidal out Palace at Stoke put Bayern seven clear rare beauty, however, as Marko Arnautovic lofted an angled pass into the box on 67 minutes that Ramadan Sobhi held up, BERLIN: Bayern Munich left it late to beat Frankfurt. Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez opened lead when Heller pulled the ball past four Stoke City 1 awaiting Allen’s run and setting him up Ingolstadt 2-0 and open a seven-point lead with the scoring early with a volley after Kai Havertz stranded Dortmund defenders. with perfect timing. Allen’s instinctive snap its main rivals dropping points in the Bundesliga eluded four Frankfurt defenders and the Marco Reus struck the crossbar with a free shot whipped into the opposite bottom yesterday. Second-placed Leipzig was beaten 3- rebound from an attempted clearance fell kindly kick in response before Raphael Guerreiro equal- corner beyond the clutching grasp of 0 at home by Hamburger SV, third-placed for the Mexico striker. Another volley made it 2-0 ized with a fine strike before the break. Crystal Palace 0 Wayne Hennessey, his Welsh international Eintracht Frankfurt was defeated by the same after the hour-mark. Karim Bellarabi didn’t let Substitute Antonio-Mirko Colak restored teammate. Sobhi was playing his first score to Bayer Leverkusen, and fourth-placed Kevin Kampl’s cross touch the ground and nei- Darmstadt’s lead with more than 20 minutes game since losing the Africa Cup of Nations Borussia Dortmund lost 2-1 at bottom club ther did Chicharito for his second goal.