e_Paper 20-11-2016

28
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2016
DT
Barca held at
home by nineman
Malaga
• Reuters, Barcelona
Barcelona dearly missed Lionel
Messi and Luis Suarez as the La Liga
champions were held to a goalless
draw at home to nine-man Malaga
yesterday, missing the chance to go
top of the standings.
Messi was taken ill before the
game while Suarez, joint-top scorer
in La Liga along with the Argentine,
was suspended. Captain Andres Iniesta
was also injured and Luis Enrique’s
side were incapable of prising
open a Malaga side happy to sit
back and soak up pressure for the
majority of the game.
Despite dominating possession
Barca struggled to carve out many
opportunities and on the rare occasion
they created a chance, Malaga
goalkeeper Carlos Kameni was
there to frustrate them.
Malaga had defender Diego Llorente
dismissed in the 69th minute
for a straight red card following a
lunge on Neymar, but Barca still
could not find a way through, although
Pique had what looked a
clear penalty appeal turned down
after his shirt was tugged in the
area by Mikel Villanueva.
Neymar was one of few Barca
players who looked capable of finding
a winner but found few willing
partners, with stand-in striker Paco
Alcacer produced an anonymous
display and defender Pique looking
far more threatening in attack.
They frustrated the Catalans
again by employing a conservative
5-4-1 formation and defending
deep for most of the game, although
they created one clear-cut
chance, midfielder Juankar firing
wide of the near post after rounding
Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Malaga’s Juankar was shown a
straight red card in stoppage time
for dissent. •
Monaco’s Colombian forward Radamel
Falcao celebrates after scoring against
Lorient at Moustoir Stadium
AFP
Sport
Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud heads to score the equaliser against Manchester United during their Premier League match at Old Trafford yesterday
Arsenal frustrate Mourinho
• AFP, London
Jose Mourinho was left frustrated
as Arsenal rescued a late 1-1 draw
at Manchester United, while Yaya
Toure was back in Pep Guardiola’s
good books with a brace in
Manchester City’s 2-1 win at Crystal
Palace yesterday.
Olivier Giroud converted
Arsenal’s first effort on target in
the 89th minute to salvage a point
for Arsene Wenger’s side after Juan
Mata’s 69th-minute strike looked
to have earned United a muchneeded
win.
Out-of-favour Toure’s only
previous appearance since
Guardiola’s appointment as City
Red-hot Falcao
scores again
• Reuters, Paris
Rejuvenated Colombian striker
Radamel Falcao bagged his fifth
goal in five Ligue 1 appearances as
Monaco swept past bottom club
Lorient 3-0 to march to the top of
the table on Friday.
The visitors went ahead through
Falcao in the 64th minute before
Thomas Lemar and Gabriel Boschilia
made sure of victory. •
RESULTS
Lorient 0-3 Monaco
Falcao 64, Lemar 67, Boschilia 90+3
Lille 0-1 Lyon
Cornet 3
manager came in a Champions
League qualifier against Steaua
Bucharest in August.
But he was given a first Premier
League start this term after he
apologised to Guardiola for
“misunderstandings of the past”
and the Ivory Coast midfielder
made up for lost time as he put City
ahead with a powerful strike from
inside the penalty area in the 39th
minute.
City, who lost injury-prone
defender Vincent Kompany with
a first-half head injury, conceded
a 66th-minute equaliser when
Palace striker Connor Wickham
beat a weak attempted save by
Claudio Bravo.
Milan derby back in spotlight
• Reuters, Milan
AC Milan’s revival and the debut of
yet another coach at neighbours Inter
should add much needed spice
to a clash that has fallen out of the
limelight in the last few seasons.
The Milan derby used to be one
of the world’s great fixtures and a
centre-piece of the Serie A season
but the indifferent form of both
teams have stripped it of its gloss.
Recently, with neither side in
the Champions League or in the
running for the Serie A title, it has
struggled to be billed as the top
match of the weekend, let alone
the season. When the teams meet
today, however, all eyes will be on
San Siro.
Milan, enjoying an unexpected
EPL RESULTS
Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester City
Wickham 66 Toure 39, 83
Everton 1-1 Swansea
Coleman 89 Sigurdsson 41-P
Man United 1-1 Arsenal
Mata 69 Giroud 89
Southampton 0-0 Liverpool
Stoke 0-1 Bournemouth
Ake 26
Sunderland 3-0 Hull
Defoe 34, Anichebe 62, 84
Watford 2-1 Leicester
Capoue 1, Pereyra 12 Mahrez 15-P
revival under new coach Vincenzo
Montella, are third in Serie A and
five points behind leaders Juventus.
FIXTURES
Sampdoria v Sassuolo
Atalanta v Roma
Bologna v Palermo
Crotone v Torino
Empoli v Fiorentina
Lazio v Genoa
AC Milan v Inter Milan
The seven-times European
champions appear to have finally
come good on a promise they made
years ago to use locally-raised
players more, with 18-year-old
midfielder Manuel Locatelli and
17-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi
REUTERS
Guardiola’s men hit back
to grab the winner in the 83rd
minute as Toure slotted home
following confusion in the Palace
defence.
Liverpool had made their best
start for eight years, sparking talk
of a first title since 1990, but Jurgen
Klopp’s side were unable to convert
a host of chances.
Swansea were denied a first win
under boss Bob Bradley as Everton
left it late to earn a 1-1 draw at
Goodison Park.
Sunderland maintained their
recent revival with a 3-0 victory
over fellow strugglers Hull in a
match interrupted by floodlight
failure. •
Donnarumma the pick of the crop.
It is a very different story at Inter
who are eight points behind their
neighbours in ninth place after a
miserable start which led to Dutchman
Frank de Boer being fired after
85 days in charge. Replacement
Stefano Pioli will make his debut
on the Inter bench where he has become
the ninth occupant of the hot
seat since Jose Mourinho’s departure
little more than six years ago.
There is extra motivation for
Inter’s captain and leading scorer
Mauro Icardi who has yet to find
the target in a Milan derby.
The match is widely expected
to Milan’s last derby under the
30-year reign of Silvio Berlusconi
and his chief executive Adriano
Galliani. •