SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018 15 Ronaldo ready to roar Champion Ron looks to pick up where he left off as Juve host Genoa AFP | Milan, Italy Trafford where he became a star. Series A “Goals, pains, tears and the ngulfed in turmoil, Cris- case in the USA -- the first 100 Today tiano Ronaldo will look days at Juventus,” wrote Gazzet- AS Roma v SPAL (1300GMT), to pick up where he left ta dello Sport. E Juventus v Genoa (1600), off on the pitch as Juventus host “With Juventus it’s a honey- Genoa in Serie A today before moon,” the newspaper added of Udinese v Napoli (1830) next week’s trip to his former the former Real Madrid player’s Tomorrow club Manchester United in the three months in Turin, “but the Frosinone v Empoli (1030GMT), Champions League. Mayorga case...” Ronaldo shrugged off explo- It was business as usual at Bologna v Torino (1300), sive rape allegations to score training for Ronaldo who post- Chievo v Atalanta, for the champions in their last ed a photo of himself listening Parma v Lazio, Serie A game against Udinese to coach Massimiliano Allegri’s before the international break instructions on social media Fiorentina v Cagliari (1600), on October 6 to keep Juventus’s Thursday with the ‘thumb up’ Inter Milan v AC Milan (1830) 100 percent record after eight emoji. Monday games. Their rivals are Genoa, in 11th, The allegations made by but with Europe’s top scorer Sampdoria v Sassuolo (1830GMT) 34-year-old American Kathryn this season in Polish striker Mayorga, that Ronaldo raped Krzysztof Piatek. her in a Las Vegas hotel in The 23-year-old Pole has 2009, threaten to engulf the Por- scored nine goals in seven games Wednesday to Paris Saint-Ger- ing CSKA Moscow in the Stadio tuguese superstar in a lengthy for Genoa, who have a match in main in the Champions League. Olimpico, as city rivals Lazio, in legal battle. hand, compared to Ronaldo’s Inter Milan, third, two points fourth, travel to Parma. Ronaldo, 33, issued a state - four. adrift of Napoli, face city rivals Meanwhile, ex-Italy boss Gian ment to “firmly deny the accu- The young player, who arrived AC Milan in the first derby of Piero Ventura returns to coach- sations” but was left out of Por- from Cracovia for four million the season in the San Siro, before ing bidding to guide tailenders tugal’s squad for this month’s euros ($4.6 million) in the sum- Ronaldo shrugged off explosive rape allegations to score for the champions in travelling to Barcelona three Chievo to their first win of the 3-1 friendly win over Scotland, mer, was relishing coming up their last Serie A game days later. season. and 3-2 Nations League victory against the five-time Ballon d’Or “It’s the game the city most It will be Ventura’s first match against Poland. winner. Genoa also switched coaches De Sciglio. looks forward to,” said Inter cap- since being sacked last Novem- Juventus have stood behind “Cristiano Ronaldo is the best during the break with Ivan Juric “Against the Rossoblu (Genoa) tain Mauro Icardi. “The goal for ber after Italy failed to reach the their star signing and he will player in the world right now replacing Davide Ballardini. it’s always a tough game, and Inter remains to reduce the gap World Cup finals. look to help the reigning cham- and in my view the greatest “Genoa have changed coach after the international break it’s with Juventus and Napoli.” “I’m experiencing this new pions maintain their six-point there has ever been,” said Piatek. and they will want to make a even harder to start again.” Roma host SPAL looking to beginning with the enthusiasm lead on second-placed Napoli, “I’d like to give my jersey to good impression here in Turin,” Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli vis- stretch their run to four league of a child,” said Ventura, 70, who ahead of next week’s visit to Old Ronaldo and maybe get his.” said Juventus full-back Mattia it Udinese ahead of their trip wins in a row before welcom- replaced Lorenzo D’Anna. Spotlight on Mourinho once more Bayern boss out to London, United Kingdom end winless streak anchester United manager MJose Mourinho remains Berlin, Germany the centre of attention when the Fixtures (all times 1330 former Chelsea boss returns to KNOW WHAT nder-pressure Bayern GMT unless stated) Stamford Bridge today. UMunich head coach Niko A dramatic fightback from Kovac desperately needs a win Today 2-0 down to beat Newcastle 3-2 at Wolfsburg today to break Wolfsburg v Bayern Munich, before a two-week international The pressure is the Bavarian giants’ miserable Bayer Leverkusen v Hanover, break offered Mourinho a stay still on the Portu- run and reignite their Bunde- Stuttgart v Borussia Dortmund, of execution, but the pressure is guese to close a sliga title defence. Augsburg v RB Leipzig, Nuremberg still on the Portuguese to close seven-point gap on Kovac, 47, only took charge v Hoffenheim, Schalke v Werder a seven-point gap on Chelsea, Chelsea in July, but must turn things Bremen (1830) Manchester City and Liverpool around at mid-table Wolfs- at the top of the table. burg with the German cham- Here, we looks at what to look pions winless in their last four toph Kramer rubbed salt in out for in the Premier League points of the leaders. matches, including back-to- Bayern’s wounds by saying this weekend. Emery has managed to find back league defeats. their superstars were dispirit- the right balance to get club After dominating the Bun- ed -- “this is not the dominant Can Mourinho stop the rot? record signings Alexandre desliga for the last six seasons, Bayern team we all know”. Mourinho has been quick to Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Bayern are sixth in the table A third straight defeat would remind Chelsea fans on his Manchester United’s Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho gestures during Aubameyang into the same side and four points behind leaders test the patience of Bayern previous returns to Stamford the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and with the two combining for 11 Borussia Dortmund -- an un- president Uli Hoeness, who Bridge he delivered three Pre- Newcastle at Old Trafford in Manchester goals in all competitions. acceptable situation for senior has promised to “defend Kovac mier League titles in two spells Questions remain over how bosses. until the death”. in charge. far Arsenal can go this season, A humbling 2-0 defeat away “It’s about time that we However, he has lost without Fixtures (all times GMT) particularly as they lost to City to Hertha Berlin was bad get the feeling of a win back even scoring a goal in three vis- Today and Chelsea in the opening enough before Bayern crashed again,” admitted defender its as United manager. Chelsea v Manchester United (1130), Bournemouth v Southampton, Cardiff v Ful- weeks of the season and haven’t to an embarrassing 3-0 drub- Mats Hummels. Another defeat wouldn’t ham, Manchester City v Burnley, Newcastle v Brighton, West Ham v Tottenham, beaten any side in the top eight bing at home to Borussia Mo- Former Bayern midfielder just realistically end United’s Wolves v Watford (all 1400), Huddersfield v Liverpool (1630) on their winning run.But the enchengladbach a fortnight Markus Babbel says pressure chances of winning the title in Tomorrow visit of Leicester to the Emirates ago. on Kovac will come from with- mid-October, but leave a moun- Everton v Crystal Palace (1500) on Monday night offers another Gladbach midfielder Chris- in at Munich. tain to climb just to make it back perfect opportunity. into the top four. With Juventus to come twice to be at their best on the big Vertonghen and Danny Rose and City, Liverpool expected to in quick succession in the occasion this season. could be distracted by a must- bounce back Champions League and a vis- Of the Hammers seven Pre- win Champions League tie at Neither side were too disheart- it to City also to come before mier League points from eight PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday. ened when Liverpool and City the next international break in games, four came from home played out a 0-0 draw at Anfield three weeks’ time, Mourinho games against Chelsea and Unit- Arsenal under the radar just before the international needs a good start to a difficult ed. Spurs have equalled their Amid the three-way battle at the break to preserve their unbeat- spell to avoid more speculation best ever start to a Premier top and the circus surrounding en starts to the league season. over his future. League season despite already Mourinho, Arsenal’s resurgence After that anticipated thriller appearing at times to be running under Unai Emery has gone un- fell flat, though, both will be Testing times for Tottenham on fumes with a series of inju- der the radar. expected get back among the Spurs start a demanding sev- ries to players who went deep The Gunners have won nine goals this weekend when Burn- en-game stretch in 21 days into the World Cup. games in a row in all competi- ley visit the Etihad and winless against a West Ham side on Sat- Mauricio Pochettino will tions, six of them in the Premier Huddersfield host Liverpool. urday that have already proven again be without Dele Alli, Jan League, to close to within two Bayern Munich’s Croatian headcoach Niko Kovac reacts on the pitch .