Established 1961 15 Sports Tuesday, January 30, 2018 Fabinho grabs Monaco point at Marseille, Bordeaux stun Lyon Chase for Champions League places remains wide open in France PARIS: Fabinho struck to secure French champions Valere Germain caused havoc and Florian Thauvin put Monaco an entertaining 2-2 draw at southern rivals pressure on right-back Almamy Toure, who saw his Marseille on Sunday, while Malcom was at the centre of clearance deflected straight into the air for Rami to nod a penalty controversy as Bordeaux stunned Lyon. Both in his first league goal for Marseille. teams at the Stade Velodrome missed the chance to The game settled down after its frenetic start, but take second place from Lyon, with Paris Saint-Germain Rudi Garcia’s hosts should have forged ahead in the now 11 points clear at the Ligue 1 summit. 27th minute when Dimitri Payet blazed over with the Keita Balde gave the visitors a fourth-minute lead, goal at his mercy. Marseille completed the turnaround but Marseille centre-back Adil Rami quickly levelled in the 47th minute, as Payet whipped in a free-kick and with a close-range header. The hosts moved in front Germain stooped to send a diving header past away shortly after half-time as goalkeeper Danijel Valere Germain headed Subasic. in against his former It was the 27-year- club. But Fabinho old’s 12th goal for OM waltzed through the since joining from hapless home defence to Marseille completed Monaco last July. The equalise for Monaco, champions hit back four denying Marseille a sev- the turnaround minutes later, though, as enth straight win in all Brazilian midfielder competitions and in the 47th minute Fabinho strolled straight extending his team’s through the middle of unbeaten league run to the Marseille backline eight matches. “Fabinho and slotted the ball in off played a big match the post. Monaco today, not only for the goal but for his defensive quality thought they had retaken the lead, but Jemerson’s and ability to break the line,” said Monaco coach header was ruled out by the linesman’s flag, despite the Leonardo Jardim. defender not being one of two visiting players in an off- The chase for the Champions League places remains side position when Rachid Ghezzal swung in a free- wide open in France, with Lyon, Marseille and Monaco kick. Both sides had chances to snatch all three points, MARSEILLE: Olympique de Marseille’s French midfielder Florian Thauvin (R) outruns Monaco’s Brazilian defender Jemerson dur- separated by just one point in the hunt for the second with Marseille keeper Steve Mandanda denying ing the French L1 football match Marseille vs Monaco on Sunday at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille, southern France.— AFP and third spots behind PSG. Ghezzal and Germain volleying agonisingly wide, but “One point each was fair. In the war for second neither could find the winner they needed to go second. scored the 27th-minute penalty to give Bordeaux a from two games since previous coach Jocelyn place there are no easy games, and it will continue like shock 2-0 lead. Gourvennec was sacked. The result was a big blow to this until May,” Jardim added. Senegal striker Balde, a MALCOM’S CONTROVERSIAL TUMBLE Poyet had already seen Nicolas De Preville put the Lyon, who had beaten PSG at home last weekend and close-season signing from Lazio, pounced on a loose Brazilian star Malcom appeared to dive for a crucial home side in front in south-western France, with then won at Monaco in the French Cup on Wednesday. ball to race clear and clip home his sixth league goal for penalty as 10-man Bordeaux upset high-flying Lyon 3- Gaetan Laborde scoring another penalty for the hosts PSG beat Montpellier 4-0 on Saturday, with Neymar Monaco and give them the perfect start. 1 to give new coach Gustavo Poyet a winning start in after Marcelo had pulled one back for Lyon. scoring twice and Angel Di Maria also on target after But the lead lasted less than three minutes, as Ligue 1. Malcom, the 50 million-euro ($62m, £44m) rat- Bordeaux had another Brazilian, Otavio, sent off Edinson Cavani got the opener to take him to a club Monaco shot themselves in the foot. A low cross from ed winger who has been linked with Arsenal, also after the break but they held on to make it two wins record 157 goals in all competitions. — AFP pen, I have to clear this ball. Liverpool look “In the first half, (conceding) three goals, it hurts every team. It was really hard to come back then. “We have to do to shore up everything to turn things around, to get in Mkhitaryan set for better shape and get better results.” Klopp agreed the turnaround must start defence against this week when he is reunited with his Arsenal bow as longstanding friend David Wagner, the Huddersfield Huddersfield manager. “First we have to Wenger waits on Ozil really think about what happened (against West Brom) and make ourselves ready for LIVERPOOL: Joel Matip accepts Huddersfield,” said Klopp. “A long run LONDON: Henrikh Mkhitaryan is poised to make his Liverpool must quickly resolve the defen- starts with the first game and that’s on Arsenal debut when Arsene Wenger’s side resume sive problems that sparked their FA Cup Tuesday,” the German added. their Premier League campaign at bottom club exit ahead of a Premier League visit to Adam Lallana missed the West Brom Swansea City today. The Gunners head to South Huddersfield Town today. Reds manager game with a small muscle tear and could be Wales boosted by their League Cup semi-final tri- Jurgen Klopp acknowledged his side were back in contention for the trip to Yorkshire, umph over Chelsea and rested following a free week- guilty of making mistakes for each of West although having been sidelined for much of end, a consequence of the holders’ early exit from the Browmich Albion’s goals in the visitors’ 3-2 the season, the England midfielder will not FA Cup at the hands of Championship side cup win at Anfield that ended Liverpool’s be risked if there is any threat of causing Nottingham Forest. lengthy unbeaten home run. Defeat came more damage. Mkhitaryan’s arrival from Manchester United also on the back of Liverpool’s shock 1-0 Daniel Sturridge was omitted from the means Wenger’s players have been able to prepare reverse at Premier League basement club matchday squad on Saturday, prompting for the game without the sideshow caused by Alexis Swansea City. further questions about the striker’s future Sanchez’s protracted departure from the Emirates Now, two weeks after the Merseysiders at Anfield. Huddersfield have not been in Stadium. The swap deal that saw Sanchez and enjoyed the high of becoming the first team the relegation zone all season, but sit just Mkhitaryan change clubs has drawn a line under a to beat Manchester City in domestic com- two points above the bottom three after a saga that was threatening to destabilise the second petition this season, Klopp’s side are in six-match run without a Premier League half of Arsenal’s season. But with Sanchez gone, need of another lift. win. Survival would be a remarkable Wenger hopes he can rebuild his side around the axis Cameroon centre-back Matip accepted achievement for a club operating on a min- of Armenian playmaker Mkhitaryan and Mesut Ozil. responsibility for one of West Brom’s goals imal budget by top-flight standards, but LIVERPOOL: File photo shows West Bromwich Albion’s English goalkeeper Ben Foster The extent to which that partnership can flourish and the defender acknowledged Liverpool the fact that they have gathered only nine (C) catches the ball during the English FA Cup fourth round football match between will depend on whether Ozil opts to stay at Arsenal beyond the end of his current contract which expires cannot afford a repeat when they face points from their past 13 matches suggests Liverpool and West Bromwich Albion at Anfield in Liverpool. — AFP Huddersfield if they are to keep a firm hold it may be a struggle. A 2-0 defeat at rele- at the end of this season. There have been reports on a top-four spot and a guaranteed place gation rivals Stoke in their most recent suggesting the Germany playmaker could be in line in next season’s Champions League. league game, on January 20, was a signifi- fered a back injury in the cup game and is Wagner has warned his players must cut for and Old Trafford reunion with Sanchez and “We started in front, our offensive play cant setback, and the FA Cup has provided a doubt, although Aaron Mooy would have out individual errors or risk further defeats. Wenger admitted he is not yet sure what Ozil’s future was okay, but in the defence we had prob- little consolation since then, with a team been expected to return to replace him “We are making too many mistakes in holds. “Not close enough to be optimistic and not far lems,” Matip told Liverpoolfc.com after the showing eight changes held 1-1 at home by anyway. attack and too many mistakes in the enough to be pessimistic,” was Wenger’s assessment West Brom defeat. “Mistakes like my one Championship strugglers Birmingham on Huddersfield visit Manchester United defence and this means it’s difficult to win,” of negotiations with Ozil when he spoke at a media kill every team.