Sports FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 2016 Everton beats Man City in 1st leg of FA cup semi LIVERPOOL: A Merseyside derby in the English League Cup final was closer to reality after Everton beat Manchester City 2-1 in the first leg of their semifinal on Wednesday, with in-form Romelu Lukaku grabbing the winner. Lukaku scored his 19th goal of the season when he headed home late at Goodison Park, giving Everton a deserved lead to take to City for the second leg on Jan. 27. Liverpool, Everton’s close neighbor and biggest rival, leads Stoke 1-0 after the first leg of the other semifinal. The Merseyside clubs met in the 1984 final, which Liverpool won, during a period in which they were the dominant teams in the country. There are still 90 minutes to go in both matchups - the second legs are in three weeks - but Everton manager Roberto Martinez said his team will take confidence from the manner of this victory, outplaying City at times. Ramiro Funes Mori put Everton ahead in first-half injury time, steering home a rebound from close range after Ross Barkley’s shot was parried out, and the hosts were pressing for a second goal - perhaps over-zealously - when City equalized on a counterattack in the 76th. Sergio Aguero controlled a long clearance forward and had only two defenders in front of him on the halfway line. The striker laid in a perfectly weighted pass for substitute Jesus Navas, who had sprinted upfield in support and met the ball with a first-time diagonal shot past goalkeeper Joel Robles. But two minutes later Lukaku had the final say. He has failed to score in only two of his last 12 games in all competitions, making him arguably the most lethal striker in English football at the moment. ‘The perfect striker’ “I have always thought Romelu Lukaku is the perfect striker for our team,” Martinez said. “He wants to be the best in the world ... it’s a joy to see him enjoying his football and scoring goals.” Lukaku hobbled off with a minor ankle injury soon after scoring, one of three Everton players to go off in the second half as England’s hectic schedule during and after Christmas continues to take its toll. Seamus Coleman and Tom Cleverley had more BARCELONA: Barcelona’s Turkish midfielder Arda Turan vies with Espanyol’s Chilean defender Enzo Roco during the serious calf injuries. Spanish Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) round of 16 first leg football match FC Barcelona vs RCD Espanyol at the Camp Nou City started brightly but often looked sluggish, with Barkley stadium. — AFP finding plenty of space between City’s defense and midfield to instigate attacks. Gareth Barry performed an admirable job as Everton’s holding midfielder and provided the assist for Lukaku, Barcelona beats Espanyol leading Martinez to describe him as “one of the best English play- ers ever.” City got 90 minutes out of Aguero as he battles back to full fitness - and he wasted City’s best chances aside from the in brutal Copa cup match goal - but lost center back Eliaquim Mangala to a hamstring injury. With Vincent Kompany also out, City is short of cover in central defense. Everton has never won the League Cup, losing BARCELONA: Lionel Messi scored two goals and set up excellent first touch before slotting in a ball he received the final in 1977 and ‘84. City has won it three times, most recent- two more to lead Barcelona’s 4-1 win over cross-town from Asensio, who started a counterattack by intercept- ly in 2014. — AP rival Espanyol, which finished a hot-tempered Copa del ing Dani Alves’ pass. But Messi quickly responded when Rey clash with nine men on Wednesday. Felipe Caicedo he caught Espanyol’s defense off-balance after Andres grabbed Espanyol a ninth-minute lead at Camp Nou, but Iniesta played him forward to beat goalkeeper Pau Lopez. Messi hit right back four minutes later. Caicedo went down holding his left thigh near halftime, The star forward put the hosts ahead with an unstop- but the visitors’ defense held firm until pable free kick just before halftime, and assisted Gerard Messi sent his free kick streaking in off the underside of Pique soon after the interval. Messi then set up Neymar the crossbar. Espanyol’s hopes took another blow when for the fourth goal after Espanyol’s Hernan Perez and Asensio was substituted after he apparently picked up an Papakouly Diop were sent off, and Caicedo and Marco injury during the halftime warm-ups. It was all Barcelona Asensio were lost to injury. the rest of the way, as Messi set up Pique to tap in his Tempers flared as the game dragged on, with Messi, goal after Iniesta’s incisive pass started the move. Neymar, and Luis Suarez receiving yellow cards, along Perez’s second booking was followed by Diop seeing with eight for Espanyol. The referee’s report also men- red for something he apparently said to Suarez in the tioned a heated exchange between opposing players 75th. The undermanned Espanyol resisted until Messi after the match. Espanyol’s Gerard Moreno said some flipped the ball forward for Neymar to put in. Bilbao also Barcelona players “were waiting for them” and “pro- fell behind at home after Villarreal scored twice on coun- voked” him and his teammates. terattacks finished off by Leo Baptistao and Samuel “There was tension and intensity,” Barcelona coach Garcia. But Benat Etxebarria set up Inaki Williams to pull Luis Enrique said. “The referees mark the limits, not the one back, striker Aritz Aduriz soon leveled, and Aymeric players or the coaches. They are the ones charged with Laporte completed the comeback in the 81st. ensuring this is soccer and not American football.” Atletico trailed after Nacho Martinez struck from long Espanyol, which held Barcelona to 0-0 in the Spanish range for Rayo Vallecano, but Saul Niguez scored against league on Saturday, will have the return leg of the round- his former team in the 67th to get an away goal in a 1-1 of-16 tie at its stadium next week. draw. Winter reinforcements Augusto Fernandez and Claudio Kranevitter debuted for Atletico. Gary Neville also Bilbao, Valencia find success got his first win as Valencia coach over a topflight team Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao, last year’s finalist to after Alvaro Negredo scored a hat trick in a 4-0 rout of Barcelona, scored three times in the second half to erase Granada. a two-goal deficit and beat Villarreal 3-2, while Atletico Valencia is still without a win through four Spanish Madrid, Valencia, Sevilla, and Deportivo La Coruna got league matches under Neville, and had previously beaten positive results. only a third-division team in the cup since the former LIVERPOOL: Everton’s Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku cele- Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal, used as a substitute, Manchester United player took charge. Sevilla took a 2-0 brates scoring their second goal for Everton to take the debuted for Barcelona, after the club finished its ban on lead from its victory at Real Betis in a one-sided Seville lead 2-1 during the English League Cup semi-final first leg new players during 2015 for breaking FIFA’s rules regard- derby, while Deportivo La Coruna needed defender football match between Everton and Manchester City at ing the transfer for youth players. Alberto Lopo to head in a late equalizer to claim a 1-1 Goodison Park. — AFP Espanyol found its opener when Caicedo used an draw at second-division club Mirandes. — AP .