CHINA DAILY DAILY| |HONG HONG KONG KONG EDITION EDITION Wednesday, April 28, 2021 ANNOUNCEMENTThursday, April 29, 2021 | | 19 19 SPORTS SOCCER Tuchel’s Blues look the Real deal Chelsea goes from ‘dark horse’ to contender after seizing away­goal advantage in Champions League semifinal MADRID — A potentially vital away goal by Christian Pulisic gave Chelsea the advantage in its Cham­ pions League semifinal against Real He’s an amazing Madrid, with Los Blancos manager player, he’s a young Zinedine Zidane afterward full of praise for Thomas Tuchel’s surprise­ player, he’s growing package Blues. and improving. I’m After a poor start to the season, Chelsea had not been in the conver­ very pleased with his sation about potential winners of goal because he’s an the competition when the last­16 draw was made back in December. important player for However, the Blues can now start the team.“ dreaming of adding to their solitary Champions League title, won in Cesar Azpilicueta, Chelsea cap­ 2012, thanks to a 14th­minute open­ tain on scorer Christian Pulisic er from Pulisic, who became the first US international to score in the “We started the game very, very tournament’s last four. well — very aggressively, with a lot of A red­hot Karim Benzema equal­ quality,” Chelsea coach Thomas ized on a rainy night at Madrid’s Tuchel said. “We deserved to win the temporary home venue during the first half. We had a lot of chances. pandemic, the Alfredo Di Stefano We should have scored at least one Stadium, in the first Champions more when the chances and half­ League match since the controver­ chances were there.” sial Super League folded last week. Former Chelsea forward Eden The largely closed breakaway Hazard, coming off a long injury lay­ competition would have had off, entered the match in the second Madrid as one of its leaders, and half but couldn’t find spaces to Chelsea also was among its found­ spark Madrid to victory. ing members before dropping the Madrid, making a record 14th idea along with the other English semifinal appearance, won three clubs. Madrid didn’t officially back straight Champions League titles out of the Super League but had from 2016­18, before Cristiano downplayed the possibility of retali­ Ronaldo left for Juventus, but the ation by UEFA in its Champions 13­time champion was eliminated League matches. in the last 16 in the last two editions There were no refereeing contro­ of the competition. versies in Tuesday’s match, and Karim Benzema celebrates equalizing for Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semifinal against Chelsea at the Alfredo Di Chelsea won the European title in Madrid boss Zidane declared him­ Stefano Stadium in Madrid on Tuesday. The game ended 1­1, with the second leg in London on May 5. REUTERS 2012 and returned to the semifinals self happy with the result while two years later, but hadn’t been back admitting his team had faced a for­ er team are a very good side. They Pulisic opened the scoring off a high young player, he’s growing and utes after he clipped the post with a to the last four since. midable foe in Chelsea, which has had 16 clean sheets (in Tuchel’s pre­ pass by Antonio Rudiger. Pulisic improving. I’m very pleased with his long­range effort. The French strik­ Tuchel is trying to make it to a sec­ been transformed under Tuchel fol­ vious 21 games in charge) and in the calmly got past goalkeeper Thibaut goal because he’s an important play­ er controlled a loose ball with his ond consecutive final after a runner­ lowing the firing of Frank Lampard end you see that out on the pitch.” Courtois before hitting the net. er for the team.” head before turning and firing a vol­ up finish with PSG last season. in January. The second leg is at Stamford “It was a great finish, great com­ Madrid tied the match on Benze­ ley into the top of the net for his 13th Perhaps more encouragingly for the “In the second half we were much Bridge in London on May 5. Man­ posure,” Chelsea captain Cesar ma’s volley from inside the area in goal in his last 14 matches. Blues, Tuchel has never lost in his better. We had better control over chester City and Paris Saint­Ger­ Azpilicueta said of the 22­year­old the 29th minute, and there were few In the absence of injured captain five matches so far against Madrid the game. In the end, we’re alive and main contest the other semifinal. Pulisic, who has been thriving after significant chances either way dur­ Sergio Ramos, Madrid struggled in the Champions League. in general we’re happy,” said Zidane. Chelsea got off to a fast start and an injury­hit start to the campaign. ing the rest of the game. defensively with its setup of three “You also have to say that the oth­ had chances to add to its lead after “He’s an amazing player, he’s a Benzema’s goal came a few min­ central defenders. AGENCIES VIA XINHUA Europa specialist Emery threatens Arsenal’s shot at salvation LONDON — Arsenal is relying on son without facing the perils of hav­ knockout ties in the competition charge of the Red Devils against Europa League success to save a sor­ ing to qualify. across spells at four different clubs. Roma. ry season, but faces former manager It is easy to see why Kroenke Revenge is also on Villarreal Under the Norwegian, the Unai Emery with a point to prove in sought the guaranteed income the minds for those with a far longer English giant has twice fallen at the Thursday’s semifinal first leg Super League would provide. connection to the club than Emery. last four in the League Cup and in against Villarreal. For 19 seasons between 1998­99 A first­ever major trophy is also the semifinals of last season’s Euro­ Sitting 10th in the English Pre­ and 2016­17, the north Londoners the Spanish side’s only route into pa League and FA Cup. mier League, the Gunners are on never failed to qualify for the Cham­ next season’s Champions League. With United realistically assured course for their worst league finish pions League. Now they are set to Arguably the closest it has ever of a top­four finish in the Premier since 1995. finish outside the Premier League’s come to silverware was a Champi­ League, but too far off Manchester But Mikel Arteta’s men are also top four for a fifth consecutive year. ons League semifinal against Arse­ City to mount a title challenge, end­ just three games away from only the That decline started prior to nal, when Jens Lehmann’s last­ ing a four­year trophy drought is the club’s third ever European trophy Emery’s 18­month spell in charge minute penalty save from Juan major prize left on offer for Sols­ and a much­needed ticket back into between May 2018 and November Roman Riquelme in the 2005­06 kjaer’s men this season. the Champions League for the first 2019. competition prevented the tie from “It feels like a proper European tie time in five seasons. The Spaniard missed out on the going to extra time. because Roma is a club with lots of All is not well at the Emirates on top four by a point and got to the “The two clubs have their own history,” said Solskjaer when the or off the field. Ahead of Friday’s 1­0 Europa League final in his only full history between themselves,” added draw was made. defeat by Everton, thousands of fans season in charge, but was dismissed Villarreal manager Unai Emery signals instructions to his players Emery. “It will be a great contest, Like Arsenal and Villarreal, there demonstrated against Arsenal own­ just four months into his second. during Sunday’s match against Barcelona. The Spaniard faces his regardless of my having coached is even greater motivation for the er Stan Kroenke, calling on the “It ended in unwanted circum­ former team, Arsenal, in the Europa League on Thursday. AP there recently.” Italians, who sit seventh in Serie A. American billionaire to sell the club stances,” Emery told uefa.com Victory in next month’s final in following his role in a collapsed ahead of the tie. Semifinal hoodoo Gdansk, Poland is the best shot at European Super League. “I want to win for myself and for that affinity for the yellow of Villar­ with my decisions.” In the other semifinal, Manches­ European soccer next season for Arsenal was one of 12 breakaway Villarreal. (Two years ago) I was real. I have that competitive A three­time Europa League win­ ter United boss Ole Gunnar Sols­ Paulo Fonseca’s men. clubs seeking the reassurance of defending Arsenal’s red colors in instinct, that responsibility I owe ner during his time at Sevilla, the kjaer is aiming to reach a final at the top­level European soccer every sea­ that final against Chelsea, now I feel the club and everyone I represent 49­year­old has won 28 out of 31 fifth time of asking since taking AFP Scoreboard BASEBALL Southeast Division GP W L OT Pts GF GA after Tuesday’s match: GP W D L GF GA Pts W L Pct GB ICE HOCKEY x­Minnesota 47 31 13 3 65 151 123 10: Haaland (Borussia Dortmund) Wycombe 44 9 10 25 35 69 37 Results of the Major League Baseball games on Atlanta 34 28 .548 — St.