Younis, Azhar Palestinian hammer minnows luckless bank on Italian coach Bangladesh18 THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2015 19 Alonso back in the Spanish spotlight Page 16 SPAIN: Barcelona’s Lionel Messi (left) scores his second goal past Bayern’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium. — AP Magical Messi lifts Barca past Bayern BARCELONA: Barcelona’s Lionel Messi struck Messi then fed Neymar in stoppage time to the next opening as his low cross picked out corner. At the other end, Thiago Alcantara curled not so forgiving when offered room on the edge twice and set up Neymar in the final 13 minutes roll past Neuer and hand Bayern an almost Neymar only for his goalbound effort to strike just wide on his return to the club where he of the area for the first time as he fired past as Pep Guardiola’s return to the Camp Nou as impossible task in next week’s second-leg. Rafinha and deflect behind. made his name. Neuer at his near post 13 minutes from time. Bayern Munich coach ended in a 3-0 defeat in Guardiola was given a warm reception by the The visitors then had a huge chance of their However, it was Neuer who came to Bayern’s Three minutes later he produced an even the first-leg of their Champions League semi- home fans as he took his seat for the first time in own as Thomas Mueller picked out the rescue again six minutes before the break as he more sublime finish as the Argentine received final. On his 100th appearance in European foot- the away dugout, but his early tactical plan to unmarked Robert Lewandowski, but the Polish spread himself to deny Dani Alves as he latched Dani Alves’s pass and left Jerome Boateng stum- ball, Messi’s double moved him back ahead of play three at the back nearly proved costly. international-who was playing with a protective onto Andres Iniesta’s through ball. bling to the ground before dinking the ball over Cristiano Ronaldo as the all-time leading scorer Bayern’s intense pressing was forcing Barca to facemask after suffering a broken nose and Bayern started the second period the the advancing Neuer on his weaker right foot. in the Champions League and Barca to the brink play long more than they are accustomed to, but cheekbone just last week-sliced his effort wide. A brighter, but it was once again Neuer who was Suarez should have made it 3-0 moments later of their first final in four years. it nearly worked to perfection when Messi’s change of system from Guardiola to a four at the the busiest goalkeeper as handled a driven shot when he raced onto Neymar’s through ball but Manuel Neuer had kept Bayern in the game headed flick-on sent Luis Suarez clear behind the back regained some measure of control, but the with Messi after a neat one-two with Neymar. blazed wildly over. Yet, Neymar was cooler when with a string of fine saves, but was helpless as Bayern defence after 12 minutes. pace of the game was still unrelenting. The two combined once more moments later bearing down on Neuer in stoppage time from Messi drilled home the opener from the edge of Neuer, though, stood up brilliantly to divert Messi bent an effort just wide after ghosting but Neymar just couldn’t bring Messi’s lofted Messi’s pass as he this time found the back of the the area in the 77th minute and then delightfully the Uruguayan’s effort to safety with an out- past three Bayern defenders, whilst Suarez was pass under his control and Neuer galloped from net and all but secured Barca’s passage to the chipped the German three minutes later. stretched right leg. Suarez turned provider for also off target with an unmarked header from a his line to clear the danger. However, Messi was final in Berlin early next month. — AFP Qatar’s Lekhwiya defeat Indonesia defiant after Al Nassr to make last 16 FIFA suspension threat DOHA: Qatar champions Lekhwiya nated Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia advanced to the last 16 of the AFC shocked Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor 2-0. JAKARTA: The Indonesian government suspension”, said the letter, which was wide- Champions League with a compre- Earlier in East Asia, Gamba Osaka insisted yesterday it would stick by a deci- ly cited in local media. hensive 3-1 win over Saudi Arabia’s beat Seongnam FC 2-1 to reach the sion to freeze all activities of the football Sports ministry spokesman, Gatot Dewa Al Nassr yesterday. last 16 and dash the hopes of association despite a threat from FIFA to Broto, told reporters that the government The victory helped Lekhwiya win Buriram United, who went out suspend the country from international was “very anxious and very serious in over- Group A with 13 points, while Iran’s despite thrashing Guangzhou R&F competition. The sports ministry said it was coming this problem” and conceded a ban Persepolis claimed second spot with 5-0. Takashi Usami and Brazilian only trying to make improvements and may would mean Indonesia missing out on play- 12 after beating already-eliminated striker Lins scored in the second half dispatch a team to lobby FIFA president ing in competitions such as the Southeast Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan 2-1. as the Japanese treble-winners Sepp Blatter, after the governing body Asian Games and the Asian Cup. Lekhwiya, who won both the came from a goal down against threatened to ban Indonesia unless it However he added that the effort to oust Qatar Stars League and the Qatar Seongnam to qualify top of Group F. revoked its decision. the PSSI was an attempt to improve the Cup and are in line for a domestic But Gamba’s win was a heart- The FIFA warning was the latest twist in a domestic game. “This is part of making treble if they claim the ongoing Emir breaker for Thailand’s Buriram, row that erupted in April when the associa- improvements. Cup, went ahead through Yousef whose five-star display at their tion, the PSSI, halted the country’s top-flight Just because the government has been Msakni in the 27th minute, while Thunder Castle stadium wasn’t league due to a disagreement with the threatened by FIFA, it does not want Nam Tae-hee consolidated in the enough to earn them a place in the sports ministry over the participation of two improvements which have been on the 32nd. knock-outs. clubs. The ministry then froze all activities of right track to slide backwards,” he told And although Hassan al-Rahab On the final night of games in the PSSI, and said it was setting up a transi- reporters in Jakarta. He added the govern- pulled one back for Al Nassr with a Group E, Jeonbuk Motors went tional body as a step towards replacing the ment would send a reply to FIFA’s letter in 36th minute strike, a Sebastian Soria through in style with a 4-1 win over association. the coming days setting out their position, penalty early in the second half saw Shandong Luneng, while already- FIFA has backed the PSSI, which insists it and if that failed to change the governing Lekhwiya home convincingly. qualified Kashiwa Reysol lost 1-0 to remains in charge of football in Indonesia body’s view, Indonesian officials would trav- Also in Group A, Persepolis piled Binh Duong. and that the the government has no el to Switzerland, where FIFA is headquar- on the misery for Bunyodkor who At Buriram, Guangzhou twice rat- authority on the matter. tered, to meet Blatter. finished their group engagements tled the woodwork early on before It is just the latest crisis to hit Indonesian The PSSI confirmed that the association with just one point from six match- Diogo opened the floodgates for the football, which has for years been beset by had received the FIFA letter on Monday.The es. Mohamed Noori gave the home side with an assured finish on infighting and corruption. It was only just row has caused anger among supporters in Iranians a 49th minute lead but 12 minutes. recovering from a feud between the PSSI Indonesia, where football is wildly popular, Sardor Rashidov equalized in the Gilberto Macena fed his fellow and a breakaway association, which led to with hundreds of fans staging a protest out- 61st to raise Bunyodkor’s hopes of a Brazilian with a curling ball into the SAUDI ARABIA: Al-Nassr’s Hassan Al-Raheb (right) vies for the ball with the creation of two separate leagues. side the presidential palace on Tuesday consolation win. However, an own box which Diogo cushion-volleyed Lekhwiya’s Yusuf al-Masakni during the AFC Champions League football In a letter this week, FIFA secretary gen- demanding President Joko Widodo inter- goal by Obid Djurabayev put paid to past Guangzhou ‘keeper Zhang match. — AFP eral Jerome Valcke said that Jakarta had to vene. Despite the suspension, PSSI sought that as the Uzbeks crashed to their Shichang. Chinese defending was stop after the break and Diogo com- a draw against Shandong but goals revoke its decision to freeze the activities of to restart the top-flight league, the fifth defeat, 2-1. suspect for Buriram’s second, when pleted his hat-trick before Macena from Lee Jae-Sung, Kim Hyung-Il, the PSSI by May 29. Indonesian Super League, at the end of In Group B, Al Ain thrashed Naft Venezuelan centre-back Andres got on the scoresheet with half-an- Eninho and Edu showed that the Valcke said the government had violated April but failed to do so after the police Tehran 3-0 with Omar Abdulrahman, Tunez leaned into his marker to nod hour to go.