SPORT Thursday 5 April 2018 PAGE | 31 PAGE | 32-33 PAGE | 35 Smith and Colours, royalty, rain and Woods poised too Bancroft not to protests as Commonwealth hog spotlight appeal bans Games begin on first day Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah scores their first goal against Manchester City during their Champions League Quarter Final First Leg match at Anfield in Liverpool, Britain yesterday. Liverpool sink City; Barca win 4-1 AP Barcelona’s juggernaut from getting an away central midfielders seemingly 38th-minute opener. Kostas suf- Argentinian goal that would have changed unsure of their roles. Aymeric fered similar bad luck in the 55th LIVERPOOL: Liverpool blew the complexion of the quarter- Laporte - a center back - also when his clearance of a low cross forward Lionel away Manchester City with three final matchup, especially given looked lost as a makeshift left by Ivan Rakitic hit the post and Messi holds a goals in the first 31 minutes that Salah hobbled off injured back, up against Salah. ricocheted off Barcelona's framed poster yesterday to secure a 3-0 first- and could be a doubt for next Only in the 57th minute did Samuel Umtiti before finally celebrating leg win at a rocking Anfield and week’s second leg at Etihad Guardiola throw on Sterling, but crossing the goal-line. his 100th close in on a first Champions Stadium. that might have come too late. Barcelona pressed its Champions League semi-final in a decade. City’s dream of a treble - it Elsewhere, in Barcelona, a advantage and Gerard Pique League goal On another European night has already won the League Cup pair of own goals by Daniele De scored a third goal four minutes ahead of that will go down in the club’s and could clinch the Premier Rossi and Kostas Manolas helped later when he only had to tap in the UEFA storied lore, Liverpool reduced League on Saturday in record Barcelona beat Roma 4-1 in the the rebound from a save by goal- Champions the best team in England to a time - might have disappeared opening leg of their Champions keeper Alisson Becker, who League rattled wreck as Mohamed Salah in a 19-minute spell where the League quarter-final palmed a shot by Luis Suarez Quarter Final - with his 38th goal of the season visitors folded in a red-hot yesterday. right to the unmarked defender. First Leg - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Anfield atmosphere. De Rossi's scrambling Edin Dzeko pulled one back match against Sadio Mane all scored in front of Pep Guardiola’s decision to attempt to cut off a pass by for Roma in the 80th before Luis AS Roma at The Kop. drop Raheem Sterling and add Andres Iniesta for Lionel messi Suarez scored Barcelona's the Camp The Reds then held firm an extra body in midfield in Ilkay backfired as the Italy interna- fourth, breaking his streak of 10 Nou Stadium under incessant second-half Gundogan completely backfired, tional sliced the ball into the matches without a goal in the in Barcelona pressure to stop City’s attacking with City lopsided and its four lower corner of Roma's net for competition. yesterday. Belmadi delighted with Al Duhail’s unbeaten run RIZWAN REHMAT “We had many chances to team’s performance on Tuesday. THE PENINSULA score in the match. Zob Ahan did “We thank God for the victory. not have the same number of Our five wins in a row confirms DOHA: Coach Djamel Belmadi opportunities as we did. We could We knew that the match that Al Duhail is on the right track,” rarely shows his emotions have scored two goals in the end. would be difficult but Al Sulaiti said in a post on the club’s following a football game. Even he Having said that, I would say the website. allowed himself a smile on Tuesday most important thing is that we we performed the way “I thank the players, the tech- night after Al Duhail beat Zob Ahan have continued our wins and have I expected them to nical staff and the management of of Iran for their fifth consecutive lost none so far,” Belmadi said. perform. I congratulate the team for their greats effort they win in this year’s AFC Champions When asked about the possi- the players on the victory. have made throughout the season. League. bility of facing Al Rayyan in the It was a great victory: We have put in the hard work and Al Duhail forward Ismaeel second round of the AFC Cham- Djamel Belmadi we have seen the results. We hope Mohammed scored the only goal pions League, Belmadi said: “We to go deep into this year’s AFC of the Group B clash in the 84th wish Al Rayyan qualify for the Champions League. minute on Tuesday as the QNB second round. (If we play them), We have become used to it and “The team managed to Stars League champions picked it will be a difficult match. But my we assert ourselves quickly,” overcome the tough conditions in up three more points team is mentally ready to face any Mohammed said. this game. To get three points and “We knew that the match side. I guess we have to be ready “We are done and dusted with remain undefeated feels good,” he would be difficult but we per- to play against any team in the this game and we have closed the added. formed the way I expected them second round of the Zob Ahan page. We move on to our Al Sulaiti said the young to perform. I congratulate the championship.” next game. That’s how we play. players in the squad ‘have shown players on the victory,” Belmadi Goal hero and Man-of-the- Now we are thinking of our last great responsibility, exhibiting Al Duhail coach Djamel said with a smile. “It was a great Match Mohammed was thrilled league game against Al Sailiya,” great set of skills.’ Belmadi reacts during the victory,” the Algerian added. with the outcome of the match. Mohammed added. “The journey is still long and AFC Champions League Belmadi said Al Duhail, who “Everyone performed really “We want to end the league we hope that the team will match against Iran’s Zob sealed the QNB Stars League title well. Al Duhail presented a good without a loss. We want to remain maintain the level that it has Ahan at the Foolad Shahr win last month, could have scored level in the match. I think we have undefeated,” he said. exhibited so far and continue to Stadium in Isfahan, Iran more goals as the team had a decent experience of playing Khalifa Al Sulaiti, Vice-Pres- achieve positive results in the on Tuesday. created many chances. away from our own home venue. ident of Al Duhail, applauded the coming period,” Al Sulaiti said. 30 SPORT THURSDAY 5 APRIL 2018 Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon (right) congratulates Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo at the end of the Champions League quarter-final first leg match in Turin on Tuesday. Ulsan storm Sporting greats hail Ronaldo into ACL last sixteen stage REUTERS quarter-final first leg win. Di cut-back, netting for a record video game to give Real a 2-0 AFP Stefano is widely regarded as tenth consecutive Champions lead before Paulo Dybala was MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo Madrid’s greatest ever player for League game. sent off and Marcelo added a was described as a different leading them to five consecutive I have to say thank A four-time Champions third at the Juventus Stadium. HONG KONG: South Korea’s species and even earned praise European Cups. Ronaldo, who is you a lot - grazie - League winner, Ronaldo is the “I have to say thank you a lot Ulsan Hyundai FC powered from basketball great LeBron the only player alongside the leading scorer in Europe’s top - grazie - to all the Juventus sup- into the knockout stages of James after his jaw-dropping Argentine to score in at least to all the Juventus competition for the seventh porters. What they did for me the AFC Champions League bicycle kick in Real Madrid’s 3-0 three European Cup finals, took supporters. What season in a row, on 14 goals in was amazing,” Ronaldo told yesterday with a 6-2 demo- win at Juventus which likely another step to joining him on they did for me was nine appearances this campaign, UEFA.com, having taken his goal lition of Melbourne Victory, sealed their place in the Cham- the throne with his phenomenal amazing. It (ovation by three from equalling his record tally against the Italian cham- who crashed out. pions League semi-finals. goal. of 17 strikes in the 2013-14 pions to nine in six games. Ulsan joined the already “What planet did you come “Cristiano Ronaldo can now rival fans) had never season. “It (ovation by rival fans) had qualified Shanghai SIPG in the from?,” asked the front cover of leave earth and start playing happened to me in my Meanwhile, Ronaldo has never happened to me in my knockout stages from Group daily AS yesterday as it depicted against the Martians. He has career before: Ronaldo thanked Juventus fans for their career before.” F after the Australian side Ronaldo’s awesome strike, his done everything here,” tweeted generous applause for his “It was a great goal, fan- conceded a comical goal to second goal of the night which former Real team mate Alvaro overhead bicycle kick which tastic,” continued the 33-year- open the floodgates.