HINDUSTAN TIMES, CHANDIGARH TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2019 sport 15 Race for final two CL Sodhi beat Kundu No farewell MUMBAI : Local lad Sahebsingh Sodhi knocked out number six spots goes to final seed Arjun Kundu of Gujarat to enter the boys singles second round in the CCI Ramesh Desai game for Bale day in Serie A Memorial under 16 tennis nation- als at the here on Monday. Sodhi Associated Press THE TOP FOUR FROM needed three hours and three sets UNCEREMONIOUS EXIT Wales star n [email protected] to upset Kundu in the first round SERIE A QUALIFY FOR match. He won 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(3) at is not used by Zidane in Real Madrid’s ROME : The race for the final two NEXT SEASON’S the Cricket Club of India. PTI Champions League spots from final match of the season Serie A will go to the last day of CHAMPIONS LEAGUE the season. Atalanta drew 1-1 at Italian champions Juventus on egated Frosinone 2-0 in a match Sunday to move into third place which saw Rossoneri goalkeeper in the Italian league, leapfrogging Gianluigi Donnarumma save a Inter Milan after the Nerazzurri penalty before goals from lost 4-1 at Napoli. With one round Krzysztof Piatek and Suso. left, the two teams are level on Juventus and second-placed points but Atalanta are above Napoli have already secured Inter thanks to a better head-to- Champions League spots. head record, which is the tie- In Turin, Josip Ilicic appeared breaker in Italy. to have given Atalanta a crucial The top four from Serie A qual- win but Mario Mandzukic leveled ify for next season’s Champions 10 minutes from time. League and fifth-placed AC Milan Juventus were also presented are only a point behind Atalanta with their eighth successive and Inter. Milan beat already rel- league trophy after the match. n Real Madrid manager Zinedene Zidane has made it clear that Gareth Bale does not fit in his team. REUTERS Agence France-Presse former Chelsea and Paris Saint- n [email protected] Germain boss. “I have a clause on May 30, and I hope Napoli PARIS: Bayern Munich clinched will exercise it.” a seventh successive Bundes- liga title, Benfica completed a KOVAC ON THE BRINK remarkable run to reclaim the AFTER STRUGGLE Portuguese crown, while Bayern Munich staggered to a Gareth Bale was denied a fare- seventh straight Bundesliga well appearance for Real title after a season-long struggle Madrid. with Dortmund ended Sunday Here’s a look at the main talk- with a 5-1 win over Eintracht ing points from the weekend in Frankfurt, and coach Niko European football: Kovac is far from secure in his job. BALE WARMS THE Kovac, 47, has been plagued BENCH IN HOME LOSS by rumours of dressing room Six seasons after arriving to fan- disharmony and a lack of trust fare and a blockbuster transfer from the boardroom since tak- fee, Gareth Bale was left on ing the reins at the beginning of the bench for what is likely to the season. prove his final game for Real Reports in German media Madrid with coach Zinedine earlier in the week suggested Zidane wanting rid of the Welsh that he would be sacked even if winger. he were to win the league and Bale watched on as three sub- cup double this season. stitutes came on ahead of him in Tellingly, Bayern president the 2-0 home loss to Betis, denied Uli Hoeness, one of Kovac’s a farewell appearance by Zidane strongest advocates on the Bay- ahead of an expected departure ern board, avoided confirming this summer. that the Croatian would stay They finish a full 19 points next season. behind bitter rivals Barcelona “I have never been involved and delivered a suitably misera- in this discussion,” he told Sky. ble end to a poor season, with Zidane admitting afterwards BENFICA YOUNGSTERS “the best thing for us is that it’s MAKE MARK over”. Benfica sealed the Portuguese Zidane insists the 29-year-old league title on Saturday after forward does not fit in his team, appointing coach Bruno Lage in and while he would be welcome January and embarking at a host of top clubs, his super- on a winning charge led by a star salary may prove an obsta- string of players from their cle for all but the richest. academy. In a season where fans mar- BARCA’S SEASON OF velled at Ajax’s youthful crop, DOMINANCE IN LA LIGA Benfica’s youth system pro- La Liga champions Barcelona duced a fine vintage too with the saw out the season with a 19-year-old attacking midfielder 2-2 draw at Eibar on Sunday, Joao Felix the most eye-catch- while Real Madrid, third, ing and touted as a replacement lost 2-0 at home against Real for Antoine Griezmann at Atlet- Betis. ico Madrid. The points difference The 22-year-old centre-back between Spain’s two biggest Ruben Dias, 19-year-old mid- clubs ended up being an unprec- fielder Florentino Luis and edented 19. slightly-built 20-year-old While Barcelona’s eight winger Jota also played their league titles in the last 11 sea- parts in a surge that brought 72 sons have made their domestic goals in 19 games. dominance clear, this new low “Until January, the team was for Real illustrates the scope of not doing very well, but we have the rebuilding job coach Zined- made up a lot of points. It’s unbe- ine Zidane has on his hands. lievable!” said Joao Felix, after raising the trophy with his ANCELOTTI WANTS teammates, before 60,000 NAPOLI EXTENSION euphoric fans at their magnifi- Carlo Ancelotti dismissed talk cent Stadium of Light. of a move back to Juventus to replace Massimiliano Allegri, MBAPPE SPARKS saying he wanted another two DOUBTS OVER FUTURE years at Napoli after thrashing Kylian Mbappe dropped a Inter Milan 4-1 on Sunday. bombshell Sunday by suggest- Juventus star Cristiano ing he may look to leave Paris Ronaldo is reported to be back- Saint-Germain. ing Ancelotti to return, having After a season when he won Real Madrid’s tenth Cham- scored 38 times for PSG, Mbappe pions League title together fuelled speculation surround- in 2014. Ancelotti, who managed ing his future, saying that Juve for two years between he wants “responsibilities, 1999 and 2001, joined Napoli maybe at PSG, maybe else- last summer on a contract until where”. 2021. Named Ligue 1 player of the “I’m tied to the club and I’d season on Sunday, he refused to like to stay for another two deny a potential move away years,” said the 59-year-old from France..