Coe under fire for Bayern crush support of Olympiakos Eugene world to book knockout championships place THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1626, 2015 19 Starc in the pink for historic day-night Test Page 17 BARCELONA: Barcelona’s Brazilian forward Neymar (C) kicks a ball during the UEFA Champions League Group E football match FC Barcelona vs AS Roma at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on Tuesday. —AFP Suarez, Messi hit doubles as Barca rout Roma BARCELONA: Lionel Messi scored his first two half substitute in Barcelona’s memorable 4-0 win at Leverkusen, while BATE has four. “Right now Barca “We are in a sweet moment and hope to keep it foot volley of a cleared ball that fell to him just goals after a two-month injury layoff and Luis Real Madrid, looking threatening as ever despite is unstoppable, it’s not a coincidence that it beat going as long as possible,” said Barcelona coach inside the far post right before halftime. Suarez netted a brace in a 6-1 rout of Roma on not scoring. Madrid 4-0,” said Roma coach Rudi Garcia. “For us Luis Enrique, whose team also leads the Spanish With Roma still in disarray, Pique got on the Tuesday as Barcelona advanced to the Champions Frighteningly enough for opponents, the good news arrived before the match. The draw league. “I see my team very focused, with everyone scoresheet after Messi was played through by League knockout rounds for a 12th consecutive Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer said despite his between Leverkusen and BATE keeps our options motivated.” Suarez and passed for the defender to tap home in season. Suarez got Barcelona rolling at Camp Nou strong return, he has yet to recover his peak form. alive.” Barcelona was soon in front after Neymar drift- the 56th. Suarez was again playmaker four minutes in the 15th minute. Three minutes later Messi “It’s tough to get back up to full speed,” said Messi’s goals were his first in the Champions ed back into midfield and sent forward a perfect later after Neymar found him in the area to set up scored his first goal in his second appearance since Messi. “I prepared well and trained but it’s not the League this campaign (he has only made two pass to meet Dani Alves’ run from the flank. The Messi, who finished off his own rebound for this returning from a left-knee injury. With Roma in dis- same as going out on the pitch and lasting 90 min- appearance) and 78th and 79th in competition his- right back only had to square the ball for the second goal. array, Messi netted the hosts’ fifth after Suarez and utes. I will take it with calm and get my pace back.” tory, second only to Crisitano Ronaldo’s record of unmarked Suarez to steer it in. Neymar earned a penalty from Salih Ucan but Gerard Pique scored. Barcelona had already qualified for the next 83. Suarez, meanwhile, continued his scoring streak Messi doubled the lead moments later after he had his spot kick saved by Szczesny, only for substi- Adriano capped the demolition before Edin phase before kickoff after Bayer Leverkusen was with his ninth and tenth goals in his last six match- finished off a series of one-touch passes before tute Adriano to rush in a fire in the rebound in the Dzeko got Roma’s consolation. Messi showed no held 1-1 at BATE Borisov, but the victory moved the es taking him up to 17 for the season. Both Suarez Suarez lobbed him the ball, leaving Messi to dink 77th. Dzeko also had a penalty saved by Marc- rust from his time on the sideline recovering from a defending champions onto 13 points and the top and striker partner Neymar, who missed a late the ball over Szczesny. Andre ter Stegen in the 82nd after being fouled by ligament he tore on Sept. 26. On Saturday, he spot in Group E with a game to spare. penalty, also excelled at playing a part in their Barcelona continued to dominate both posses- Thomas Vermaelen but got the Italian side a conso- played a little more than half an hour as a second- Roma was left with five points along with team’s goals with their passing. sion and the initiative, and Suarez blasted a right- lation goal just before the final whistle. — AP Sanchez double Chelsea repeat keeps Arsenal’s drubbing of Maccabi to move in on last 16 hopes alive HAIFA: Chelsea enjoyed their second 4-0 Champions League victory over 10-man Maccabi Tel Aviv this season to move into prime position to reach the knockout LONDON: Alexis Sanchez scored twice and Mesut Ozil headed the other goal stages of the competition from Group G on Tuesday. as never-say-die Arsenal beat Dinamo Zagreb 3-0 on Tuesday and kept alive With Dynamo Kiev winning 2-0 at Porto, however, the qualifiers for the last 16 will their hopes of reaching the Champions League last 16 for a 16th straight sea- only be determined in the last round of matches when Chelsea host Porto and Kiev son. welcome Maccabi. Goals by Gary Cahill, Willian, Oscar and Kurt Zouma secured the The Gunners, whose chances of advancing looked remote after defeats by victory for Chelsea whose task was made easier when Maccabi captain Tal Ben Haim, Dinamo, Olympiakos Piraeus and Bayern Munich in their opening four match- a key player in the heart of the defence, was sent off five minutes before halftime. es, were given a huge helping hand by Bayern Munich who thrashed the After five games, Chelsea, who only need to draw their final match to progress, Greeks 4-0 in the other Group F match. Those results mean that Bayern are and Porto each have 10 points with Kiev on eight, while Maccabi are bottom without through to the knockout round and Arsenal will join them if they beat a point. Olympiakos by two clear goals in Greece on Dec. 9. Cahill had put the visitors on the scoresheet in the 20th minute with a close- Bayern have 12 points, Olympiakos have nine, Arsenal are on six and range effort after mounting Chelsea pressure as Maccabi’s spirited start faded after Dinamo have three. If Olympiakos gain at least a point against Arsenal they about 15 minutes. will go through instead of the London side while Dinamo are already elimi- Maccabi kept up their attempts to penetrate the Chelsea defence but their cause nated and will finish bottom. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told reporters was undermined when Ben Haim was shown a red card for a wild kick on striker he was pleased his side now had their fate back in their hands. “It was impor- Diego Costa. The Israelis maintained their efforts after the break but the result was tant we did not concede the first goal because they (Dinamo) were quite dan- sealed when Willian scored in the 73rd minute with a perfectly-executed curling free gerous going forward. “We had to come out of the game tonight with a kick that beat the Maccabi wall and left goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic stranded. chance to qualify-we needed to do the job and Bayern needed to do the job Oscar made it 3-0 in the 77th from close range as Maccabi’s defensive shield was and it happened-and now I believe we can do it. “We have to go there breached again before Zouma pounced on a corner in the first minute of added (Olympiakos) and win, and if we are winning 1-0, then we can win 2-0.” time to seal the win. Dinamo coach Zoran Mamic agreed, telling reporters: “I think they can go Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho said the result flattered his side. “I think we played through, they have more quality than Olympiakos and are a better team and I very well in the first half, the pitch didn’t help,” Mourinho said. “In the second we slept think they will reach the next stage.” There was nervous apprehension from a bit for the first 15-20 minutes waiting for the second goal to come and only when the home fans on a chilly night but that eased as Arsenal weathered early we were again in danger did we react well. No doubt about the victory but I think pressure before taking control with excellent quick-passing football. Ozil, Maccabi deserved a bit more than that.” Sanchez and Santi Cazorla were dominant in midfield and the Germany Maccabi coach Slavisa Jokanovic said the sending off made it impossible for his playmaker made the breakthrough when he scored with a stooped header players to overcome technically superior opposition. after Sanchez had run more than 50 metres with the ball as Arsenal broke “Playing 11 against 11 is hard enough in the Champions League and when it’s 10 on the counter. Sanchez scored the second after poor defending by against 11 Chelsea players it becomes pretty much impossible,” he said. Leonardo Sigali, whose weak clearance inside his area was intercepted by Moments before the second goal, Chelsea captain John Terry had to be substitut- Nacho Monreal who set up his Chilean team mate for a tap-in. The second ed after injuring his ankle, an incident which Mourinho said occurred as a result of half followed much the same pattern and, although Dinamo weaved some the poor playing surface. nice moves in midfield, they hardly created a chance to trouble Arsenal The extent of the injury was not initially known but Mourinho looked worried keeper Petr Cech.