FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 2 NBA | Page 5 Injured Kane Westbrook to return reaches triple to training ton, Raptors next month beat the Nets Thursday, March 15, 2018 GOLF Jumada II 27, 1439 AH Woods at happy GULF TIMES hunting ground as comeback continues SPORT Page 6 FOOTBALL/EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Youssefs Bayern breeze battle for top into last eight scorer award Bayern, who could secure their sixth consecutive Bundesliga title at the weekend, went 2-0 up seconds after the second-half through Gonul Reuters Istanbul reble-chasing Bayern Munich eased past Turkey’s Besiktas 3-1 yesterday to breeze into the Champions League quarter-fi nals Twith an 8-1 aggregate win. It was a record 11th straight victory in the compe- tition for coach Jupp Heynckes, who had led Bayern DEADLY DUO: Duhail’s Youssef El Arabi (L) and Youssef Msakni. to the title in 2013 before retiring and returning this season. By Sports Reporter from the rest of the pack, according The German side went ahead through Thiago Al- Doha to the facts and figures released cantara in the 18th minute to kill off any lingering by STATS, the off icial statistics and hopes of a miracle recovery by the Turkish team af- figures provider for the QNB Stars ter Bayern had crushed them 5-0 in the fi rst leg in he battle for the top-scorer League. Munich. The Spaniard, however, was taken off with award in the 2017-18 sea- The duo made significant contribu- a suspected ankle problem a little later after only re- son QNB Stars League has tions to The Red Knights’ QNB Stars cently returning from an injury break. Tbecome one between two League triumph, with an unbeaten Bayern, who could secure their sixth consecutive Youssefs — new champions Al Du- run so far and two rounds of games Bundesliga title at the weekend, went 2-0 up seconds hail’s Youssef El Arabi and Youssef remaining, by notching up 47 of after the second-half restart when Gokhan Gonul Msakni. the total 77 goals scored by them, volleyed a Rafi nha cross into his own net. Will it be El Arabi again this season? the most by any team. Al Sadd are Besiktas, who were missing their entire central Or will Msakni bag the coveted second on 59 goals. defence, off ered little resistance despite controlling award? Those questions are doing Msakni scored two goals and El possession. the rounds as the tournament is Arabi one in Al Duhail’s 5-0 victory They did manage to pull a goal back through Vagner drawing to a close, with the penulti- over Al Kharaitiyat last week. Love’s eff ort in the 58th minute which breathed some Bayern Munich’s forward Sandro Wagner celebrates after scoring against Besiktas at Besiktas Park in mate-round action being scheduled Al Duhail’s remaining matches are brief life into the hosts and the 40,000 home fans. Yet Istanbul yesterday. for Saturday. against Al Markhiya and Al Sailiya, Bayern substitute Sandro Wagner chested in a David El Arabi had won the award last sea- and either of them is almost sure to Alaba cross with six minutes remaining to make sure Munich he turned the clock back,” wrote Mueller- 2016 in which he won three consecutive Bundesliga son with 24 goals, followed Al Sadd’s have the last laugh as third-placed of Bayern’s victory. Wohlfahrt. titles. Algerian striker Baghdad Bounedjah Abderrazaq Hamdallah of Al Rayyan The quarter-fi nal draw will take place tomorrow. “It even went so far as to turn our medically The pair fell out in April 2015 when Mueller-Wohl- on 23. has only 17 goals to his credit. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola has been slammed in thought-out, well-rehearsed warm-up programme fahrt claims he was verbally attacked by Guardiola The Moroccan spearhead is cur- Bounedjah, who missed many a scathing attack by Bayern Munich’s high-profi le on it’s head before training sessions. after a Champions League defeat in Porto which saw rently leading the list with 24 goals, matches due to a nagging injury, team doctor, who said the Catalan took the German “I think Pep Guardiola is a person of low self-es- the doctor resign from his Bayern duties. with Msakni close behind on 23. is fourth with 14 goals, followed club “backwards” in some aspects of their training. teem. He seems to live in constant fear, not so much “While the players were still being treated, I was El Arabi has been leading the list by Al Rayyan’s Rodrigo Tabata, In his autobiography, which is being serialised this of defeat, but much more about any loss of power and loudly attacked in front of the assembled team and right from the beginning, while Al Kharaitiyat’s Rachid Tiberka- week in newspaper Bild, Hans-Wilhelm Mueller- authority,” Mueller-Wohlfahrt added. made responsible for our many injuries,” Mueller- Tunisian attacking midfielder Msa- nine (both 12), Al Sadd’s Hassan Wohlfahrt described current Manchester City boss The 75-year-old Munich-based doctor has worked Wohlfahrt wrote. kni made a big surge recently with al-Haydous, Al Sailiya’s Wagner Guardiola as someone with “low self-esteem who with a host of stars including sprint legend Usain Bolt “I was to blame for the physical condition of the some outstanding performances. Ribeiro (both 11), Al Sadd’s Jugurtha does everything to hide it from others”. and Germany’s 2014 World Cup winning squad. players and ultimately for the defeat. Both players have underlined their Hamroun and Al Khor’s Madson “Guardiola is often portrayed in the media as an Mueller-Wohlfahrt had a stormy relationship with “I felt deeply hurt. I resigned as team doctor of FC scoring abilities and stand apart (both 10). innovative, if not revolutionary, coach, but at Bayern Guardiola, Bayern’s head coach from 2013 until May Bayern Munich after 38 years.” BOTTOMLINE Mourinho under fi re aft er United’s meek exit AFP United’s European ouster ‘nothing new’ for Jose Manchester Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho managed Porto in 2004 and Real Madrid ose Mourinho was condemned for his has risked angering the club’s supporters five years ago. “I sat in this chair twice in the negative tactics after Manchester United by saying that Tuesday’s tame Champions Champions League after knocking out Man- crashed out of the Champions League to League exit was “nothing new” for the club chester United (in the last 16) at home, at Old Sevilla, with Alexis Sanchez anonymous as he pointed to his past success against Traff ord,” Mourinho said. Jand Paul Pogba’s confi dence apparently in tat- them. “In this chair with Porto and Real Madrid, they ters. Speaking after the match, Mourinho said are out both times. It is not something new United, riding high in the Premier League, United had failed to progress despite giving for the club... I don’t want to make a drama started the second leg of their last-16 tie on their best then proceeded to talk about out of it, we don’t have time for that,” the Tuesday as strong favourites to progress to the his victories over his current club when he Portuguese manager added. quarter-fi nals after a goalless draw in Spain but mustered just four shots on target across both legs. “There are players in that squad to play good Mourinho’s cagey tactics, the club have backed Two late goals from substitute Wissam Ben attacking football with the money that’s been their manager, rewarding him with a new con- Yedder gave the home side a mountain to climb spent,” said former United midfi elder Paul Sc- tract until 2020 and he hinted that even more and a consolation goal from Romelu Lukaku holes, also part of the team that won the 2008 cash may be thrown at fi xing United’s problems. was far too little, too late, with United exiting Champions League. “Everything together (needs to improve), the competition 2-1 on aggregate. A major investment was also made to bring everybody spends money, not just us,” said Mourinho fi elded four forwards — Sanchez, Sanchez to the club in January on reportedly the Mourinho. Lukaku, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard — won the Champions League under Alex Fergu- United’s midfi eld?,” asked chief sports writer most lucrative contract in Premier League his- The added problem for Mourinho is that run- in an attacking-looking line-up at Old Traff ord son in 2008. Matt Dickinson. tory but he has been a huge disappointment so away Premier League leaders Manchester City but United only broke free of the shackles in the The question for fans is why Mourinho is “True, he did go closer than his teammates to far. are setting pulses racing and the likes of Liver- desperate closing minutes. seemingly unable, or unwilling, to set his at- breaking the deadlock but if picking him always “Sanchez for one, he just looks a shadow of pool and Tottenham also play an exciting brand A stubborn Mourinho, who has won the tacking superstars free. felt like turning up at a party with a baseball bat, the player he was,” said Ferdinand. “When he of football. competition with Porto and Inter Milan, said Pogba, who cost a then world-record £89mn United were duly lacking in any subtlety. Crea- was at Arsenal he was the one everyone looked In contrast, Mourinho has little to fall back his side had not put in a “bad performance” but ($124mn) in 2016 as Mourinho’s fi rst big sign- tive passing through central midfi eld was non- to for inspiration.