SPORT Wednesday 19 September 2018 PAGE | 25 PAGE | 27 Al Rayyan, Al Sadd Sarfraz, Rohit gear up for Qatar promise blockbuster Clasico India-Pakistan clash India survive Messi scores hat-trick in big HK scare at Asia Cup Barca win; Liverpool pip PSG AFP DUBAI: India survived a REUTERS scare against Hong Kong after Shikhar Dhawan’s hundred BARCELONA: Lionel Messi as they battled to a 26-run scored a sensational hat-trick as win over the minnows in the Barcelona kicked off their Cham- Asia Cup yesterday. pions League campaign with a Chasing a big 286-run 4-0 win at home to Dutch cham- target, Hong Kong gave their pions PSV Eindhoven yesterday illustrious opponents a run for although they had defender their money with an opening Samuel Umtiti sent off in the stand of 174 runs before col- second half. lapsing to 259-8 in 50 overs. Barca’s all-time top scorer India were lifted to 285-7 Messi broke the deadlock in the by a punishing 127 by Dhawan 32nd minute at the Nou Camp -- his 14th one-day interna- with an immaculately struck free tional hundred -- and an kick, curling the ball over the wall attractive 60 by the recalled and right into the top near corner. Ambati Rayudu at Dubai It was his second free kick Stadium. goal in three home games this The Group A match was season. expected to be a one-sided Coached by former Barca and affair, but Nizakat Khan Netherlands midfielder Mark van scored a brilliant 115-ball 92 Bommel, PSV had produced an with 12 fours and a six, with admirable performance in their skipper Anshuman Rath Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his third goal during the UEFA Champions’ League group B match first visit to the Nou Camp in 21 adding 73 to make India against PSV Eindhoven at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, yesterday. RIGHT: Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge celebrates scoring their sweat for victory. CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RESULTS first goal against PSG at Anfield yesterday. Their stand is the best for any wicket by Hong Kong Group B years until they began to tire late later, turning Ivan Rakitic’s smash-and-grab raid as goals by scored a late winner for Liverpool in an ODI, bettering the In Barcelona, Spain in the second half. In the first dinked pass into the near corner skipper Mauro Icardi and Matias as they beat PSG 3-2 at Anfield 170-run stand for the fourth Barcelona bt PSV Eindhoven 4-0 period they successfully shut down with one flick of his boot and then Vecino secured a 2-1 home win in their opening Champions wicket by the same pair In Milan, Italy most of Barca’s attacks and also completed his treble in the 87th over Tottenham Hotspur on their League fixture of 2018/19. against Scotland at Mongkok Inter Milan bt Tottenham 2-1 plotted several dangerous breaks, by receiving another chipped long-awaited return to the The Reds had taken a two in 2016. Group A which led to Mexico international pass, this time from Luis Suarez, Champions League yesterday. goal lead in the first half thanks But both fell in successive In Bruges, Belgium Hirving Lozano firing narrowly and ruthlessly smashing home. Spurs appeared to have to a Daniel Sturridge header and overs to give India a sigh of Borussia Dortmund bt Club Brugge 1-0 over the bar after the interval. The mood was briefly delivered the perfect response to a James Milner penalty, but the relief ahead of their high- In Monaco The Spanish champions dampened when France their stuttering domestic form as visitors pulled one back before profile match against Atletico Madrid bt Monaco 2-1 began to demonstrate the gulf in defender Umtiti was dismissed they led through Christian Eriksen’s half time as Thomas Meunier Pakistan on Wednesday, also Group C class as the second half pro- in the 79th minute for a second deflected 53rd-minute strike. scored from inside the area. in Dubai. gressed and they doubled their yellow card, ruling him out of Inter, who have started Liverpool had most of the Leg-spinner Yuzvendra In Liverpool, England lead in the 75th minute through Barca’s next Champions League poorly in Serie A, were offering possession and created most of Chahal (3-46) and debutant Liverpool bt Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 a lovely curling strike from game away to Tottenham little threat but Icardi’s superb the chances but PSG held on and paceman Khalil Ahmed (3-48) In Belgrade in-form French forward Hotspur on October 3. 86th-minute volley brought the posed a threat on the counter. were the pick of Indian Red Star Belgrade draw with Napoli 0-0 Ousmane Dembele, who scored Barca lead Champions San Siro to life and Vecino’s Eventually that threat told as bowlers. Group D a fifth goal from sixth games in League Group B on goal dif- stoppage-time header left Tot- Kylian Mbappe finished a move Earlier, Dhawan hit 15 In Gelsenkirchen, Germany all competitions this season. ference after Inter Milan beat tenham crestfallen at the final started by Neymar after a loose fours and two sixes during his Schalke 04 draw with FC Porto 1-1 Messi got his second and Tottenham 2-1. whistle. Mohamed Salah pass and brought 120-ball knock. But once Barca’s third goal two minutes Inter Milan staged a late Meanwhile, Roberto Firmino the scores level. Dhawan and Rayudu fell, India lost their way with Mahendra Singh Dhoni falling without scoring. The total was much lower Al Sadd gear up for ‘tough’ Persepolis semis than India’s 374-4 in the only RIZWAN REHMAT previous match between the against Esteghlal at Jassim Bin two teams in Karachi in the THE PENINSULA Hamad Stadium. 2008 Asia Cup. “It feels great to have reached DOHA: Al Sadd coach Jesualdo the semi-finals of this prestigious SCOREBOARD Ferreira has urged his players to championship,” Al Haydos said India bring their A-game to the AFC after the thrilling contest under R Sharma c Nizakat b Ehsan ..........................23 Champions League semi-finals lights. S Dhawan c Afzal b Shah ..............................127 clash against Iranian giants “We have worked extremely A Rayudu c McKechnie b Nawaz ...................60 Persepolis. hard to reach thus far. The K Karthik c Hayat b Shah ................................33 On Monday, Al Sadd pro- players have put in great efforts M Dhoni c McKechnie b Ehsan .........................0 duced a feisty 2-2 draw against all through the AFC Champions K Jadhav (not out) ...........................................28 Iranian outfit Esteghlal to com- League so far,” he added. B Kumar c Rath b Shah ....................................9 plete a 5-2 win on aggregate, to “I want to say ‘well done’ to the S Thakur c Carter b Aizaz .................................0 K Yadav (not out) ..............................................0 sign in for the last-four clash set players and want to thank the fans Extras (LB2, NB1, W2) .................................... 5 to be played over two legs in for their support,” Al Haydos said. Total (for 7 wkts) .............................285 October. “It was a great team effort. Al Sadd are eyeing a place in the AFC Fall of wickets: 1-45, 2-161, 3-240, 4-242, “There’s no doubt the game Hopefully we go all the way,” he Champions League final. 5-248, 6-277, 7-282 against Persepolis will be tough,” added. Bowling: Afzal 4-0-34-0, Nawaz 8-0-50-1 (1nb, Ferreira said in his post-match Al Sadd’s goals were scored 1w), Aizaz 8-0-41-1 (1w), Ehsan 10-0-65-2, Na- comments. On Monday, Persepolis over- the aim of making up for the our strength as well by reaching by Akram Afif (27) and Bounedjah deem 10-0-39-0, Nizakat 1-0-15-0, Shah 9-0-39-3 “We need to be at our best turned a 1-0 deficit against Qatari two-goal deficit from the first the semi-finals.” (90 + 2). Esteghlal, who played Hong Kong when we play them, and that side Al Duhail to win the return leg. With an AFC Champions most part of the second half with Nizakat Khan lbw b Ahmed ...........................92 match is going to be like a final,” leg 3-1 at Azadi Stadium in “They almost scored a third League semi-final berth con- 10 men, were lifted by goals by A Rath c Sharma b Yadav ...............................73 the seasoned Portuguese coach Tehran. goal in the latter stages of the firmed, Al Sadd now turn focus Rouhollah Bagheri (32) and Babar Hayat c Dhoni b Chahal ......................18 C Carter c Dhoni b Ahmed ................................3 added. “We played them earlier (in game. We feared that the game to QNB Stars League. Morteza Tabrizi (49). K Shah c Dhawan b Chahal ............................17 the group stage), but this time it would go on to extra-time and “Now, we need to focus on “It was an amazing fight. We Ehsan Khan c and b Ahmed ...........................22 will be completely different. We penalties but we were able to our game against Al Rayyan in worked as a team,” influential Aizaz Khan lbw b Chahal ..................................0 saw how they overturned the maintain the score-line and then the league and then we will be midfielder Abdelkarim Hassan S McKechnie st Dhoni b Yadav .........................7 result against Al Duhail,” Ferreira scored a late goal to go through able to properly think about the said. Tanvir Afzal (not out) .......................................12 said of the clash.