THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015 SPORTS Watford fail difficult balancing act LONDON: Since Manchester United The League Cup in particular has Watford swapped their whole start- much changed, both required extra-time. their strategy for the next round, when all caused outrage by throwing a bunch of become a vehicle for managers to give ing XI and lost 1-0 at Preston. Claudio The one exception to the general the eight teams involved in European youngsters into a League Cup game at some playing time to reserves and Ranieri, known as “The Tinkerman” in his trend were Sunderland, whose manager football this season enter a draw that has Port Vale 21 years ago, English football squad players. But for some it is a diffi- first spell in England with Chelsea, lived Dick Advocaat wanted to give his first- thrown up a number of local derbies that has slowly grown used to the idea of cult balancing act between resting first- up to the name with 11 changes for team more time together and the confi- players and supporters will be desperate rotation. As it turned out, the Port Vale team regulars and progressing in a com- Leicester’s tie at (third tier) Bury but dence of a win after their poor start to the to win. fans who demanded their money back petition that ends at Wembley with a came through 4-1 with England Under- season. That plan almost back-fired when Arsenal, whose manager Arsene that night were watching a team includ- Europa League place for the winners. As 19 international Joe Dodoo scoring a they were being held 3-3 at half-time at Wenger has invariably fielded weaker ing newcomers like David Beckham, 11 Premier League clubs entered the hat-trick on his debut. home by fourth-tier Exeter City after teams in the competition, faces a visit to Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Capital One Cup this week, all except It was tougher for Stoke City and West more bad defending. big north London rivals Tottenham. Villa Scholes, who would become known as Watford got away with an average of Bromwich Albion, who only won on penal- But former England striker Jermain must face traditional enemies Birmingham the Class of 1992 and go on to dominate eight changes each by progressing to ties against lower-division opposition, Defoe rescued them with a hat-trick in a City, and Palace are at home to neighbours the decade. the third round. while Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, also 6-3 win. Managers must now decide on Charlton Athletic. —Reuters Scramble for Europa League group berths PARIS: Athletic Bilbao need to turn around Denmark. Koeman is hopeful Sadio Mane a first leg home loss in Thursday’s Europa will be fit after the Senegalese striker was League play-off second leg action to book forced off with a hip injury as Southampton their spot in the group stage with Borussia went a third game without victory in a 0-0 Dortmund, Southampton and Ajax also draw at promoted Watford in the Premier looking to advance. AFP Sports picks six League on Sunday. Southampton have not things to look out for among the 22 ties in won away from home in the league since the final round before the group stage: February, but they did at least record a first In Bilbao, Athletic will be bidding to turn clean sheet in nine league outings. around a 3-2 loss at Slovak side MSK Zilina l In Istanbul, Turkish league runners-up where the beaten 2012 finalists threw away Fenerbahce will be looking to build on their a two-goal lead. Athletic were 2-0 up at away-goal advantage after Robin van Persie half-time thanks to goals by Sabin Merino scored his first goal for the club since join- and Kike Sola. But Jakub Paur pulled a goal ing the Turkish club from Manchester back for Zilina before Brazilian forward United for 4.7 million euros (£3.4m, $5.2m) William, on as a substitute, equalised in the last month. The 32-year-old Dutch interna- 77th minute and then netted the winning tional striker replaced Moussa Sow 10 min- goal four minutes into stoppage time. utes from the end of Fenerbahce’s match Ernesto Valverde’s side will be looking for a away to Greek side Atromitos in Athens and boost following a loss in their opening netted a 90th-minute winner. The 1-0 victo- match of La Liga, falling 1-0 at home to ry leaves the 2013 semi-finalists primed to Barcelona last weekend although goalie clinch a place in the group stage in the Gorka Iraizoz saved a first-half spot-kick return leg. Dutch giants Ajax travel to Czech from Lionel Messi. minnows Jablonec with all still to play for. * In Germany, Borussia Dortmund look to Frank de Boer’s side failed to build on a continue their dream start to the season penalty scored nine minutes into the sec- under new coach Thomas Tuchel and build ond half when Arkadiusz Milik converted on their remarkable 4-3 comeback win from after VÌt Benes’s foul on Davy Klaassen in three goals down after 22 minutes away to the box but Jaroslav Silhavy’s side threat- Norwegian side Odd. ened in the later stages. Romanian champi- Dortmund’s strong start to the season ons Steaua Bucharest have an uphill battle continued Sunday as their 4-0 win at new- at Swedish club Rosenborg who look set to boys Ingolstadt saw them leapfrog Bayern advance after three late goals from Tobias Munich to top the Bundesliga table on goal Mikkelsen, Pal AndrÈ Helland and captain difference. It was Dortmund’s sixth win in all Mike Jensen in a 3-0 victory which leaves competitions under Tuchel as defender the Trondheim side with one foot in the Matthias Ginter, Marco Reus, Shinji Kagawa group stage ahead of their home fixture. and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored French clubs Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne SWEDEN: Celtic’s Kris Commons controls the ball during the Champions League play-off second leg soccer match between Malmo second-half goals. bid to join Marseille in the group stage but FF and Celtic at Malmo New Stadium. —AP l At Herning, Southampton have work with all still to play for. Bordeaux face the to do if they want to join Tottenham longest journey in the competition as they Hotspur and Liverpool and make it three carry a 1-0 advantage to Kazakh side Kairat Celtic and Monaco stumble English clubs in the group stage after being Almaty thanks to a first half goal from held 1-1 by Danish champions Midtjylland Tunisian striker Wahbi Khazri in western at St Mary’s last week. Jay Rodriguez’s France. 10-man St-Etienne earned a valu- PARIS: A header by Markus Rosenberg and an glimmer of hope with 15 minutes remaining as Pyatov for the two-time Austrian league player penalty gave Ronald Koeman’s men a life- able away goal in a 1-1 draw at Milsami own goal from Dedryck Boyata condemned Nigerian defender Elderson knocked the ball of the year’s 22nd goal in 64 European matches. line and they will need to score in Orhei amd welcome the Moldovans. —AFP Scottish champions Celtic to a second succes- into the net after Ryan had saved from Thomas A thrilling match-in contrast to the dour sive season without the riches to be accrued Lemar. “It hurts, but Monaco put up a great per- opening leg which saw eight players booked- from the Champions League group stage as formance tonight,” said Raggi. took another twist when a day after his 28th Malmo beat them 2-0 on the night and 4-3 on “It was the game in Valencia that did for us birthday Olexander Gladkiy nipped in to aggregate in their play-off on Tuesday. They but our target now is to compete strongly for score for the hosts and put the match on the were not the only high profile casualties as last the league title,” added the 31-year-old. night all square at 2-2 and with the hosts season’s quarter-finalists Monaco exited despite Shakhtar Donetsk too looked to have all but noses just in front. coming from behind to beat Valencia 2-1 at sealed their place in the group stage when The second-half was less of a ripper and the home-they have lost just once in their last 12 impressive Brazilian Marlos curled a beauty of a visitors frustrations ended with Mario European club games at Stade Louis II-but lost shot past the Rapid Vienna goalkeeper in the Sonnleitner being red-carded four minutes from 4-3 on aggregate. 10th minute. time for a second bookable offence-he hurled Another side who reached the knockout However, the visitors drew level three min- the captains armband that he had assumed after stages last season also failed to get over the utes later 20-year-old Louis Schaub refusing to Hofmann went off to the ground in fury. play-off hurdle this time round as Basel, who be denied as he rifled home his second attempt Even so there was still time for Pyatov to pull progressed at the expense of Liverpool in last for his third goal of the competition. off a remarkable point blank block to Philipp season’s competition, exited after a 1-1 draw in Their joy knew no bounds just five minutes Prosenik’s close range shot with the game five Israel against Maccabi Tel-Avi saw the hosts later as 34-year-old skipper Steffen Hofmann minutes into time-added on and ensured the progress on the away goals rule, the tie finishing curled a superb freekick past the flailing arm of Austrian side’s absence from the group stage 3-3 on aggregate.