Russians sing banned anthem after beating Germany to gold

Kirill Kaprizov scored in overtime to lead the Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) past a feisty Germany 4-3 on Sunday to win the men’s ice hockey gold before joining his team mates to defy a ban by singing the Russian national anthem during the medal ceremony.

The Russians, competing as neutral athletes at Pyeongchang as punishment for a years-long Russian doping scandal, came back from one-goal down on a goal by Nikita Gusev with less than a minute left in regulation time to force overtime in one of the most pulsating finals in the history of Olympic hockey.

At their medal ceremony, the players team sang the Russian anthem over the sound of the Olympic anthem at the Gangneung Hockey Centre despite being barred from having their flag raised or anthem played.

The game was played hours after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided not to restore their delegation’s Olympic status, which would have enabled them to march under their flag at the closing ceremony later on Sunday.

The team’s assistant captain Ilya Kovalchuk said the players had discussed beforehand whether to sing the anthem if they were to win, and they agreed they would.

“We knew that we will do it if we win,” said Kovalchuk, the all-time leading Russian goal-scorer in Olympic play.

Singing the Russian anthem on the field of play is a violation of the IOC’s rules on neutrality, which were imposed on Russia as part of sanctions punishing the nation over systematic doping across many sports.

The victory marked the first time a team from Russia have won the gold medal in hockey since 1992, when the so-called Unified Team representing Russia and five other former Soviet republics beat Canada for the Olympic championship.

“It means a lot. We didn’t win Olympics since ‘92,” Kovalchuk said. “It was a while ago. That was our dream. That was my dream for when I was five years old, when I started playing. It’s great and it feels good.”

WILD GAME
The game was a thriller from the start and ended with flair, a perfect one-time slap shot from Kaprizov that ripped past German goaltender Danny aus den Birken with Germany’s Patrick Reimer off for high sticking.

Kaprizov had been fed the puck by the other Russian hero of the game, Gusev, who netted two third period goals, including the one that tied it, sending the game to overtime with less than a minute to go and the Germans looking like they were about to pull off a huge upset. Gusev finished as the Olympic tournament’s points leader with four goals and eight assists.

The Russians found themselves evenly matched by a German team who surprised the hockey world by making it to their first Olympic final. With the loss, the Germans won silver, their best finish ever in Olympic ice hockey and their first medal since a bronze at the Innsbruck games in 1976.

On paper the final shouldn’t have been a fair fight, but the Germans, playing hockey for a country primarily obsessed with football, skated evenly with the OAR, a team loaded with top home-grown talent from Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, seen as the world’s second-best league after the NHL, and led by ex-NHL all stars Pavel Datsyuk, their captain, and Kovalchuk.

The Germans had punched above their weight to get to the final, beating hockey powerhouses Sweden and Canada, and they were not about to quit with the gold medal on the line.

They came back twice from one-goal deficits and took the lead late on a goal by Jonas Muller, who beat Vasili Koshechkin between the legs, only to have their hearts broken by Gusev and Kaprizov.

source: news agency

Guardiola poised to resume trophy collecting

Pep Guardiola’s trophy gathering was put on hold last season but the Spaniard gets the chance to resume populating his mantelpiece when his Manchester City side face Arsenal in the League Cup final on Sunday.

The Spaniard won 11 major trophies with Barcelona and seven more with Bayern Munich so his failure to mark his debut season with Manchester City with anything tangible was a surprise.

This season, however, Guardiola’s blueprint for success has fully infiltrated his City squad to such an extent that only a few days ago an unprecedented quadruple seemed possible.

Third-tier Wigan Athletic ended that hope with a stunning 1-0 victory in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday -- becoming only the third team to beat City in any competition this season.

That setback served as a wake-up call for runaway Premier League leaders City who will start as firm favourites to beat Arsenal at Wembley and win the League Cup for the third time in five seasons having triumphed twice under Manuel Pellegrini.

Their progress to Wembley has not been straightforward and they needed penalty shootouts to dispose of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City.

They will be wary too of an Arsenal side who, despite their lack of a credible title challenge in recent years, have made a habit of rising to the occasion in big one-off finals.

They have won their last three Wembley finals, all in the FA Cup, against Hull City (2014), Aston Villa (2015) and Chelsea last year when they were also underdogs.

The League Cup is the only domestic trophy to elude Arsene Wenger in his near 22-year reign in north London and the Gunners have to go back to 1993 for the last time they won it.

INTENSE SPECULATION

Wenger has often treated the League Cup as an excuse to experiment, concentrating on the so-called bigger prizes, but Sunday’s showdown with City offers the Frenchman the chance to shove the words of his critics back down their throats.

His side are languishing in the sixth place in the Premier League, eight points off the Champions League places, and they were knocked out of the FA Cup by second-tier Nottingham Forest.

The Europa League could also offer salvation this season but a League Cup trophy, especially against City, would help create calmer waters over the final months of the season when Wenger’s future is again likely to be a matter of intense speculation.

Former midfielder Ray Parlour, who played in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the 1993 final, said Sunday’s showpiece is a huge game for both clubs.

“At the end of your career people ask you what did you win, not how much money you earned,” Parlour told Sky Sports.

“Every single player wants another medal in the cabinet.”

Both sides are expected to start with their back-up goalkeepers on Sunday with Wenger keeping faith with Colombian David Ospina who has played throughout the competition.

Guardiola is also likely to use Claudio Bravo, his Cup goalie this year, rather than Ederson.

He will also be without Fabian Delph who is suspended after his red card against Wigan.

Arsenal, who were in action against Ostersunds on Thursday in the Europa League, are without Alexandre Lacazette who has undergone knee surgery but midfielder Aaron Ramsey should have recovered from a groin injury in time to face City.

source: news agency

Conte, Mourinho spat adds tension to top-four clash

Such has been the war of words between Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte it is easy to forget that a vitally important top-four battle will break out on the Old Trafford pitch on Sunday.

From the moment Conte’s Chelsea thrashed Mourinho’s Manchester United 4-0 to kickstart their 2016-17 Premier League title charge, a simmering tension has existed between the pair, who both won the Premier League in their first season in England - and both with the London side.

This season the discord erupted into open dislike with insults flying backwards and forwards.

In October, Mourinho said Conte was the kind of manager who “they cry, they cry, they cry when a player is injured”, while Conte suggested the Portuguese was far too interested in what was going on at the club where he was once worshipped.

Mourinho’s comments in January that not “behaving like a clown on the touchline” did not betray a lack of passion appeared to be directed Conte’s way.

Even if it were not, Conte took the bait and hit back in no uncertain terms, accusing Mourinho of suffering from amnesia although his original remark, later clarified, spoke of “senile dementia”.

Mourinho stoked the fires by dragging up a 2011 match-fixing saga that Conte was implicated in.

“I think I will still make a few (mistakes). What never happened to me and will never happen is to be suspended for match-fixing,” Mourinho said.

Conte, who always denied any wrongdoing in that affair, was furious and described Mourinho as “a little man with a very low profile” as the bad blood began to boil.

So there would appear to be egos as well as points at stake this weekend as United and Chelsea strive to bolster their hopes of finishing in the top-four behind runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City.

United and Chelsea are four points and one point respectively above fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who could ramp up the pressure by winning Sunday’s early kickoff at Crystal Palace.

The stakes will already be high enough without any pre-match trash talking as Mourinho will be desperate to avoid a fourth defeat in five matches against Chelsea since taking over at United in 2016.

He certainly will not want to hear the chants of “you’re not special any more” from Chelsea’s visiting fans -- the same ones who lauded him for winning seven trophies in two spells as the Blues’ manager, including three league titles.

Victory, and a first league double over United for eight years, would see Chelsea move level on points with Mourinho’s side, with 10 games of the season remaining.

A win for United, however, would leave Chelsea glancing anxiously behind them.

“The next game is always the most important because it’s where you can get the three points,” Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta said. “At the moment we are getting closer and closer to the end of the season, so we have to get the points.”

Chelsea may reap the benefit of having 24 hours more recovery time from their Champions League exertions, having drawn 1-1 with Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

United ground out a 0-0 draw in Sevilla on Wednesday, but will surely be more adventurous against Conte’s side.

source: news agency

Hamilton sees rivalry with Vettel hotting up

Lewis Hamilton expects his Formula One rivalry with Sebastian Vettel to become even more intense this season and says he is prepared for anything the Ferrari driver throws at him.

The battle between the two four-times world champions promises to be the storyline of the season starting in Australia on March 25.

Hamilton came out on top last year, a season that started out in mutual respect before tipping into ‘road rage’ and recrimination when they collided and banged wheels in Azerbaijan.

“You would have to expect that it could be worse,” Hamilton told reporters when asked, at the launch of his Mercedes team’s new F1 W09 car at Silverstone on Thursday, about the tension between the two.

“Always expect the worst and hopefully it will be better.”

The Briton said the campaign was likely to be closer than ever but he would also be even better.

“Hopefully if I am performing at my best, then there will be issues -- because they (Ferrari) will be upset about it,” he added.

Asked about potential ‘mind games’, Hamilton smiled.

“Honestly, I don’t play mind games,” he said. “I just drive faster.”

The Briton spoke of his hunger, even if he still has some weight to lose before the first race, and commitment as well as the joys of his longest break in a decade.

Since November, the 33-year-old has been surfing in California and snowboarding in Japan as well as hanging out with friends and family on both sides of the Atlantic.

He enthused about the time spent chasing waves with 11-times world surf league champion Kelly Slater, an experience that was also painful.

“I go for the biggest waves and I get barrelled over,” he grinned.

Hamilton has also kept a lower profile on social media, wiping his Twitter and Instagram accounts in late December after attracting criticism for comments about his young nephew wearing a pink dress.

He said the “clean slate” was planned and he would aim to strike a balance in future.

“I have been very open with my life for several years and it is always difficult to make a change because I have always been open,” he added.

”But we are in a strange time in the world where things are magnified a lot more than they were in previous years. It is a critical time for the world.

“Social media is still the gateway to connect to fans, so it will be a part of my life. As to how deep I will go, we will see.”

source: news agency

Napoli win but go out, red-faced Arsenal lose and go through

Napoli came agonisingly close to pulling off a dramatic Europa League comeback when they won 2-0 at RB Leipzig but went out on away goals at the last 32 stage on Thursday while Arsenal got through despite an embarrassing 2-1 home defeat by Ostersund.

Borussia Dortmund snatched a late goal at Atalanta to progress with a 1-1 draw, while AC Milan and Atletico Madrid, both with three-goal leads from the away legs, completed the formality of qualifying with 1-0 wins at home on Thursday.

The evening was marred by the death of a policeman in Bilbao after rivals fans fought in the streets before the match between local side Athletic and Spartak Moscow, won 2-1 by the Russian team who still went out 4-3 on aggregate.

Arsenal had a three-goal lead from last week’s win in Sweden but were rattled when Hosam Aiesh and Ken Sema scored twice in two minutes for Ostersund midway through the first half.

The North London side were spared further humiliation, though, after Ronald Mukiibi miscued when trying to clear a cross and defender Sead Kolasinac thumped the ball into the net from close range two minutes into the second half.

Napoli lost 3-1 in last week’s first leg against Leipzig with a performance that embarrassed coach Maurizio Sarri, though he has emphasised that winning Serie A is the priority.

They restored some pride in the return as Piotr Zielinski scored from a rebound in the 33rd minute and Lorenzo Insigne turned in Jose Callejon’s cross with five minutes to go.

That set up a rousing finale and Callejon could even have won the tie in stoppage time but his shot sailed over.

LAST-GASP DORTMUND

Atalanta scored against Dortmund when Rafael Toloi prodded the ball home at the far post after Mattia Caldara flicked on a corner in the 11th minute to make it 3-3 on aggregate.

There were then chances at both ends until Dortmund’s Marcel Schmelzer snapped up the rebound, after Etrit Berisha failed to hold a Marco Reus shot, to put the Bundesliga side through.

Lazio striker Ciro Immobile got a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over FCSB, formerly Steaua Bucharest, after a 1-0 first-leg loss.

Russian pair Lokomotiv Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg both won at home in frigid conditions to also progress.

Igor Denisov’s first-half goal gave Lokomotiv a 1-0 win over Nice, completing a 4-2 aggregate victory, while Zenit beat Celtic 3-0 to go through 3-1 with goals from Branislav Ivanovic, Daler Kuzyaev and Aleksandr Kokorin.

“We dominated the game. We didn’t concede any chances until the 70th minute,” said Zenit coach Roberto Mancini after a match which kicked off in a temperature of minus 13 Celsius.

“After 70 minutes we tired a bit but this is normal, but in the end we deserved to win.”

Atletico Madrid, leading 4-1 from the first leg, completed their tie at home to FC Copenhagen when Kevin Gameiro’s early goal gave them a 1-0 victory and AC Milan beat Ludogorets by the same score with a Fabio Borini goal for a 4-0 aggregate win.

Dynamo Kiev, Sporting, Viktoria Plzen, Olympique Lyonnais, Olympique Marseille and Salzburg also qualified and will go into the hat for the last 16 draw which will be made on Friday.

source: news agency

Chennai take on resurgent Blasters in a crucial tie

Kochi:Kerala Blasters will welcome their Southern rivals Chennaiyin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi and the home side will look to extend their unbeaten run to five matches, with one eye on the remote possibility of making the Hero Indian Super League playoffs. 

Chennaiyin are not yet assured of qualification for the semifinals but even a loss will keep them among the top four. However, both teams have only two matches left. The previous match between the two sides ended in a 1-1 draw after goals in the 89th and 90th minutes from Rene Mihelic and CK Vineeth respectively. But tomorrow, neither would be happy except a win and full points from this encounter.

"It was a tough schedule for us to play games and then recover for a day before jumping onto the plane again. We're delighted with the amount of points we've got from these last four matches. I didn't change the team that much so it has been a huge workload for them and says everything about my squad. We're where we are because of our work ethic. Now we come into this game with an unusual four-five days of rest and we are in very good shape," Chennaiyin head coach John Gregory said -- almost as if sounding a warning shot for Kerala.

But this is hardly the same Kerala side that they faced early on.

"They were struggling when we played them last time, individually and as a team. But with the new coach (David James) coming in with a positive attitude and has totally transformed the team," he said. 

James himself sounded pretty confident, and said that there were initial question marks when he joined Kerala for the second time in his career.

"The experience I had as a head coach was also a matter of question but from day one it was always about how Kerala Blasters is about everyone involved with the club and not just the players and the head coach. So without wanting to make it sound too easy, it was still easy to instill confidence in everyone with a support staff like mine," he said.

On the upcoming game, a crucial one at that, James said that he expected an energetic match.

"We expect them to win the game and get over the line. For us, we have to win the game and aim for six points (out of two games)," he said, intending that both sides will certainly go on an all out attack. 

Mumbai leave it late to floor NorthEast in 5-goal thriller

Mumbai: Lucian Goian led from the front for Mumbai City FC as he scored a precious winner in stoppage time as the hosts won a five-goal thriller 3-2 against NorthEast United FC at the Mumbai Football Arena, Mumbai.

On a night where Mumbai City had to win the match, the dramatic late winner helped the Islanders stay alive in the race for a place in the playoffs. Mumbai City have now moved to the sixth spot with 23 points from 16 matches. Should they win their remaining two matches against Delhi Dynamos and Chennaiyin FC, they can still make it to the top four.

NorthEast United have been left at the bottom of the pool with 11 points from 17 matches. 

For large spells, it looked like NorthEast would get at least a point from this game. They were down by an early goal from Achille Emana (15th minute) but Lucian Goian’s own goal brought them back in the 24th minute. Sambinha then gave NorthEast the lead in the 43rd minute, only for Everton Santos (54th minute) to draw level for Mumbai and Goian to strike at the very end in this dramatic tie. 

Needing a win to get their campaign back on track, Mumbai City started strongly and deservedly took the lead inside the first 15 minutes which they thoroughly dominated.

They took the lead through midfielder Achille Emana who carved out a goal from nothing. It was Everton Santos who had picked out his teammate on the top of the box and the burly Cameroonian, took a swift turn and then picked out the bottom right corner before a diving TP Rehenesh could get there.

Goalkeeper Rehenesh was otherwise alert for NorthEast United FC, keeping away a blazing shot from Santos early in the game and then tipping over a free-kick from Marcio Rozario.

NorthEast got the equaliser in the 24th minute. Maic Sema crossed the ball from the left for Gursimrat Singh, whose shot was travelling towards goal and Mumbai defender Lucian Goian, in an attempt to clear, steered it inside his own goal.

The visitors should have been ahead in the 41st minute but John Mosquera missed a sitter from a swift counter-attack. NorthEast, however, were not to be denied the lead two minutes later as an unmarked Sambinha came up with a low header from Lalrindika Ralte’s corner kick.

In the second session, Mumbai didn’t have to wait too long for the equaliser.

Everton Santos got the equaliser when he bundled home past two defenders from inside the box after it was headed into his path by Rafa Jorda. Mumbai then kept bombarding the goal in search of a precious winner which was eventually secured through an unlikely source.

It was the captain who redeemed himself for his earlier lapse that gave NorthEast the equaliser. Goian made a superb run to meet Raju Gaikwad’s cross and finished it with some class in the first minute of stoppage time.

Proteas beat India in 2nd T20I

South Africa rode on some powerful batting by Heinrich Klaasen and Jean-Paul Duminy to defeat India by six wickets in the second Twenty20 International (T20I) at the SuperSport Park here on Wednesday.

Chasing a formidable target of 189 runs, the hosts romped home with eight balls to spare. The three-match series is now locked at 1-1.


Klaasen brought up his maiden T20I half-century, producing an awe inspiring show of power hitting to plunder 69 runs off just 30 balls.

Duminy remained unbeaten on 64 runs off 40 balls with four boundaries and three sixes.

The South African chase was off to a decent start before J. J. Smuts stepped out to pacer Jaydev Unadkat, only to be surprised by a slower delivery as Suresh Raina picked up an easy lofted catch at cover-point.

Reeza Hendricks handed pacer Shardul Thakur a wicket on his T20I debut when he went after a short piched delivery only to send his mistimed attempt into the hands of Hardik Pandya at deep mid-wicket.

With both opener back in the pavilion after five overs, the hosts seemed to be in deep trouble.

But Heinrich Klaasen and Jean-Paul Duminy brought the South African innings back on track with a 93-run partnership.

Klaasen brought up his half-century in style, hitting Hardik Pandya for a boundary to reach 51 in just 22 balls.

The right-hander went berserk in the next over, smashing Yuzvendra Chahal for two sixes and a boundary to send the home crowd into a frenzy.

Unadkat brought his superb innings to an end in the very next over as Klaasen edged a slow off-cutter to Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps.

David Miller was removed by Pandya in the next over as the Indians looked to make a comeback.

However, Duminy led from the front to take the battle to the Indian bowlers and kept the asking rate within range.

Fittingly, it was the Proteas captain who hit the winning runs. He smashed Unadkat for two consecutive sixes to bring up the victory in some style.

Earlier, India rode on some power packed batting to post 188/4 in their 20 overs.

Manish Pandey was the highest scorer for India with an unbeaten 79 runs off just 48 balls.

His power-packed knock, which included six boundaries and three sixes, provided the late impetus to the Indian innings.

The veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni gave him excellent support from the other end, remaining unbeaten on 52 runs off a mere 28 balls, hitting four boundaries and three sixes along the way.

Coming together in the 11th over, the duo added 98 runs between them to carry the visitors to a formidable total.

Fast bowler Junior Dala bowled well on his T20I debut, notching up figures of 2/28.

Asked to bat first, the visitors suffered a scare off the very first ball when Shikhar Dhawan edged a Chris Morris delivery onto his pads.

The umpire had initially ruled the left-hander out but had to reverse his decision after television replays revealed a clear inside edge.

But the Indians' relief was only temporary as Dala struck the first blow for the hosts with a delivery that kept low and trapped and outfoxed Rohit Sharma plumb before the stumps.

However, the arrival of Suresh Raina saw the momentum shift to the Indians' favour as he and Dhawan started to play in an aggressive manner and dominated the South African pacers. The duo kept the Indians on track with a 43-run partnership.

That prompted South African captain Jean-Paul Duminy to come into the attack and the off-spinner had an immediate impact as Dhawan hit his second delivery into the hands of Farhaan Behardien at mid-on.

Dhawan was in good touch, scoring 24 runs off 14 balls with three boundaries and two sixes.

Dala removed Virat Kohli in the next over, outfoxing the Indian skipper with some extra bounce as overjoyed wicket-keeper Heinrich Klaasen latched onto to the outside edge.

The momentum however, stayed with the Indians as Raina and Manish Pandey added 45 runs between them off the next five overs.

Fast bowler Andile Phehlukwayo broke the crucial partnership when he trapped Raina leg before. Raina's 24-ball knock produced 30 runs which included five hits to the fence.

That was the last bit of celebration the hosts will eventually manage as Pandey and Dhoni virtually tore the Proteas' bowling apart.

Brief scores:

South Africa: 189/4 in overs (Heinrich Klaasen 69, Jean-Paul Duminy 64 not out; Jaydev Unadkat 2/42) vs India: 188/4 in 20 overs (Manish Pandey 79 not out, Mahendra Singh Dhoni 52 not out; Junior Dala 2/28).


source: news agency

Serena says 'almost died' after giving birth

Serena Williams “almost died” after giving birth to her daughter last September, the former women’s world number one tennis player wrote in a column for CNN that was published on Tuesday.

Williams had previously revealed some of the complications she had after giving birth but offered more details about an experience that has since inspired her to speak out about the importance of affordable child care.

“I almost died after giving birth to my daughter, Olympia,” Williams, 36, wrote in the opening line of her article.

Williams was bedridden for six weeks from a series of complications, including a pulmonary embolism that led to multiple surgeries, after her daughter was delivered by emergency cesarean section.

“I am so grateful I had access to such an incredible medical team of doctors and nurses at a hospital with state-of-the-art equipment,” said Williams.

“They knew exactly how to handle this complicated turn of events. If it weren’t for their professional care, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Williams said her C-section wound popped open due to intense coughing endured as a result of the embolism.

She had surgery, where doctors found a large hematoma in her abdomen and returned to the operating room for a procedure that prevents clots from travelling to her lungs.

She went on to encourage people to donate to charities that help mothers and newborns around the world.

Williams, who has won an Open-era record 23 grand slam singles titles, returned to competition nine days ago when she represented the United States in a Fed Cup doubles match.



source: news agency

Bayern romp home 5-0 after Besiktas suffer early red card

Bayern Munich, helped by two typical Thomas Mueller goals and two from Robert Lewandowski, romped to a 5-0 home win over Besiktas in their Champions League tie on Tuesday after the Turkish champions played nearly the whole match with 10 men.

Besiktas defender Domagoj Vida was given a straight red card for tripping Lewandowski outside the penalty area in the 16th minute, the defining moment in the round of 16, first leg tie.

Mueller, inelegant yet always effective, broke the deadlock with a miskick two minutes before halftime to break Besiktas’s resistance.

Kingsley Coman and Mueller added two more before Lewandowski helped himself to a late brace, virtually assuring the Bavarians of a seventh successive quarter-final appearance.

“We began nervously and couldn’t find our rhythm,” said Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes after his side equalled a club record of 14 consecutive wins in all competitions. “The turning point was the sending-off and the goal just before the break.”

Besiktas won all three away games in the group stage and came with the clear intention of attacking Bayern but their plans were torpedoed by Vida’s red card.

A poor pass from Atiba Hutchinson went straight to Lewandowski, who burst past Vida and was tripped as he ran at goal with only goalkeeper Fabri to beat.

Besiktas could still have snatched a priceless goal minutes later when Vagner Love got past two Bayern defenders to give himself a clear shot on goal but his effort was high and wide.

COMPLETE CONTROL

Bayern then laid siege to Besiktas and Fabri denied them the opening goal with a superb one-handed save at point-blank range to turn away Mats Hummels’s header.

Having survived another scare when Ricardo Quaresma burst down the right and forced Sven Ulreich to save at his near post, Bayern broke the deadlock two minutes before halftime.

Coman got to the byline and crossed, Alaba touched it on and the ball fell to Mueller who turned, failed to make proper contact but poked it home.

It was a typically scrappy effort from a player once described on the German Football Federation’s Twitter feed as having the elegance of a swan on ice skates.

There was an air of inevitability about the second half as Bayern took complete control.

Coman sidefooted in from Lewandowski’s pass in the 53rd minute before Mueller struck again in the 66th, this time sticking his leg out to divert Joshua Kimmich’s cross past Fabri.

Lewandowski got in on the act by snapping up a rebound in the 79th minute, before Mueller set up the Poland striker’s second and Bayern’s fifth.

The second leg takes place in Turkey on March 14.




source: news agency

Messi breaks Chelsea duck to earn Barca 1-1 draw

If at first you don’t succeed the saying goes and it proved fitting for Willian and Lionel Messi as both scored in an absorbing 1-1 draw between Chelsea and Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie on Tuesday.

Chelsea’s outstanding performer Willian could hardly believe his bad luck as twice before halftime he rattled the woodwork.

But the Brazilian was finally rewarded for his persistence in the 62nd minute when he fired Chelsea into the lead on an electrifying night at Stamford Bridge.

Barcelona’s talisman Messi had fired blanks on eight previous occasions against Chelsea, most notably in a shock semi-final defeat six years ago, and he rarely had a glimpse of goal on his ninth meeting with the Londoners.

When home defender Andreas Christensen suffered a rush of blood in the 75th minute, however, Messi pounced.

It edged the tie towards Barcelona, although they could count themselves fortunate after being out-manouvered against a Chelsea side who, apart from one lapse, played a ‘perfect’ game according to manager Antonio Conte.

”It is a pity. I am very proud for my players. They followed what we prepared,“ Conte said. ”Tonight we were a bit unlucky.

“I think when you play this game you must have a plan and respect the characteristics of the opponent. Our plan was really good. We are talking about 1-1 and maybe we deserved more.”

Unbeaten La Liga leaders Barcelona enjoyed suffocating possession, especially in the first half, but despite the probings of Messi and Andres Iniesta, they could provide precious little ammunition for striker Luis Suarez.

“It was a clash of styles, two different teams,” Barca coach Ernesto Valverde said. “We had the game under control when they scored their goal. Perhaps we didn’t create many clear-cut chances, but we managed to force an error and get the draw.”

A rivalry that had been dormant for six years resumed with a gripping game of cat and mouse.

Barcelona zipped the ball around in eye-pleasing style but apart from Paulinho’s wasteful header they struggled to lure Chelsea into mistakes.

Despite spending long periods diligently shutting doors, the hosts were the more clinical in possession, with Eden Hazard and Willian both menacing outlets.

Willian fully justified his starting berth after being used chiefly as a substitute this season and could have been celebrating a stunning hat-trick.

In the 34th minute Paulinho lost the ball and as Chelsea worked it to Willian, he shuffled to his right and sent a curling right-footer thudding against the post.

Shortly before halftime Willian again proved elusive but this time the opposite post rescued Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who was a mere spectator for both attempts.

Conte resembled a manic orchestra conductor throughout the match, going through his full repertoire of gesticulations.

He was pumping his fists with joy midway through the second half as Hazard teased the Barca defence and fed Willian who engineered a yard of space before firing a low right-foot shot inside the left-hand post.

Chelsea deserved their lead and even threatened a second goal before young defender Andreas Christensen betrayed his relative inexperience with a moment of madness.

The 21-year-old’s aimless ball across his own area was seized upon by Iniesta and when he cut it back to Messi the Argentine duly delivered to send Barca’s travelling fans wild.

The goal knocked the stuffing out of the hosts and, although they avoided any more damage, they will need a repeat of their 2012 exploits to keep alive their European hopes.


source: news agency

Zidane strikes back to win tactical battle with PSG

Zinedine Zidane has been questioned for his failure to repeat Real Madrid’s magnificent feats of last season but the Frenchman showed he still knows how to manage a big game as his side beat Paris St Germain 3-1 on Wednesday in the Champions League.

Zidane was expected to match PSG’s 4-3-3 formation and field Gareth Bale in the last 16-first leg at the Bernabeu but instead opted to play Isco to give his team numerical superiority in midfield.

“We wanted to control the game and we did that,” Zidane told reporters.

“We did that by playing four in middle against their midfield three, Isco had a great game and gave us greater possession and the game went as we had envisaged it.”

Real made the stronger start although they fell behind to Adrien Rabiot’s strike, which Cristiano Ronaldo cancelled out from the penalty spot.

Zidane looked to his bench to win the game and made ultra-attacking changes by throwing on Bale and wingers Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez.

The injection of fresh legs startled the tired visitors and after Bale came close to scoring from the right-hand side Asensio made two darting runs down the left which led to Ronaldo putting Real ahead in the 83rd minute and Marcelo’s late strike tightened their grip on the tie.

“Despite all the speculation, we showed that you can never presume Real Madrid are dead,” Real captain Sergio Ramos said.

After sweeping to the Liga and Champions League double last season and becoming the first coach to successfully defend the trophy since the tournament changed format, Zidane has seen his reputation as a coach nose-dive as his side fell way behind Barcelona in the Liga and were eliminated from the King’s Cup.

Their hopes for the season entirely rested on the blockbuster tie against PSG and with their supporters fully behind them in a competition they have won an astounding 12 times, Real delivered.

“The Champions League turns us on,” said Zidane. “This club has won this competition 12 times for a reason.”

Marca newspaper hailed Zidane’s strategy.

“Zidane struck back and turned the tie on its head with a statement of authority from the tactical board,” the paper said.

“It was a masterstroke which gave his team wings and came off perfectly.”

The late goals gave Real a big advantage going into the second leg in Paris on March 6 and Ramos called on his side to produce a repeat performance to continue their quest for a third consecutive Champions League triumph.

“We were effective in a way we haven’t been for much of the season and we played a complete game,” he said.

source: news agency