The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| Resurgent Schalke earn third straight win Posted: 09 Feb 2014 02:45 PM PST Schalke host Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid in the last 16, first leg of the Champions League later this month and have hit form after back-to-back defeats in December with three straight wins since the winter break. The Royal Blues put on a regal performance at Gelsenkirchen's Veltins Arena with Jefferson Farfan tapping home after a superb run from defender Sead Kolasinac on 39 minutes. Teenage wunderkind Max Meyer added a second a minute before the break. "That was a very good performance we put in," enthused Schalke coach Jens Keller, who said defender Atsuto Uchida picked up a leg injury and midfielder Roman Neustadter had a badly cut knee. The defeat ended Hanover's recent form having won their first two games of the year under new coach Tayfun Korkut to leave the guests lying tenth. Earlier, ten-man VfB Stuttgart dropped closer to the Bundesliga's relegation battle after suffering their fifth-straight defeat in a 4-1 rout at home to buoyant Augsburg. "There's no need to discuss the performance," fumed Stuttgart coach Thomas Schneider. "Their victory was deserved and I am very, very disappointed, we must apologise to the fans as we gifted the three points in a ten-minute spell. Bavarian minnows Augsburg are dreaming of international football next season as they rose to eighth after a sixth consecutive game unbeaten. Two goals by midfielder Andre Hahn did the damage for Augsburg, who set a new club record of nine victories in a Bundesliga season at Stuttgart's Mercedes Benz Arena. To compound the hosts' misery, Stuttgart had captain Vedad Ibisevic sent off with 53 minutes gone for striking Augsburg's Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker in the face. The defeat leaves Stuttgart 14th in the table, only two places from the relegation zone. Hamburg are also deep in the relegation mire after they were thrashed 3-0 at home to Hertha Berlin on Saturday night to set an unwelcome club record of six straight defeats. Colombia striker Adrian Ramos, who has been linked to Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund for next season, scored twice to leave Hamburg second from bottom as they were booed by their own fans at the final whistle. Several senior stars, including captain Rafael van der Vaart, found themselves pelted by missiles when they went to calm angry fans after the game. Hamburg have said they will continue with coach Bert van Marwijk, but results must improve. Third-placed Borussia Dortmund romped to a 5-1 win in Bremen on Saturday. Dortmund dismantled Werder Bremen with Poland striker Robert Lewandowski and attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan both scoring twice. The thrashing came at a price as both Germany midfielders Marco Reus and Sven Bender are ruled out of this week's double header against Eintracht Frankfurt tomorrow in the cup and in Saturday's league match. This was the 12th time this season Bremen have conceded three or more goals and coach Robin Dutt is under increasing pressure with his side 13th and just three points from the relegation places. Leaders Bayern extended both their unbeaten Bundesliga records with a 2-0 win at Nuremberg to remain 13 points clear in the Bundesliga as the runaway leaders left Nuremberg with 56 out of a possible 60 points this season. This was Bayern's 45th unbeaten Bundesliga match, dating back to October 2012, and their 29th unbeaten away league game to extend their records with a rare win in Nuremberg. Goals either side of half-time by striker Mario Mandzukic and captain Philipp Lahm sealed the win. In the basement battle, Eintracht Frankfurt moved up to 12th with a 3-0 win at home to bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig. Freiburg were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Hoffenheim while sixth-placed VfL Wolfsburg enjoyed a 3-0 win at home to Mainz 05. On Friday, second-placed Bayer Leverkusen enjoyed a 1-0 win at Borussia Moenchengladbach with South Korea's Son Heung-Min scoring the second-half winner. – AFP, February 10, 2014. |
| Juventus spurn chance to extend as misfiring Roma held Posted: 09 Feb 2014 02:41 PM PST Roma were away to Lazio in the city derby only four days after a 3-2 win over Napoli in the first leg of the Italian Cup semi-final. But despite shading what was a rough and tumble encounter at the Olympic Stadium, Rudi Garcia's men failed to grab the win that would have reduced their deficit on the Bianconeri to seven points with a game in hand. Draws for both title challengers meant Juventus retained their nine-point lead over the Giallorossi, with Napoli, who outclassed AC Milan on Saturday, now only four points off second place in third. With Napoli virtually out of the title equation, it remains a two-horse race for this season's scudetto and Garcia, whose side have yet to play a postponed match against Parma, appeared defiant. "We have to look on the bright side because we haven't lost any points to Juventus," the Frenchman told Sky Sport Italia. "Their draw adds even more value to our 3-1 win (away to Verona two weeks ago). But we have to remain humble. We have yet to play Parma and that's a game we still have to win." Juventus looked to be on their way to a comfortable win in the north east after a Carlos Tevez double inside 21 minutes. However Luca Toni reduced arrears just after the restart and Juan Gomez headed past Gianluigi Buffon in the fourth minute of injury time as Juve's defence lost focus at a late free kick. Juve coach Antonio Conte told Sky: "These kinds of games last 95 minutes, and we should never lose our concentration, especially in dead ball situations. "There were other lapses of concentration in the second half and hopefully this will serve us well. We have to be conscious of the fast this title is not won yet." Trailing 2-0, Verona's woes deepened just after the half hour when their claims for a penalty were waved off despite the ball clearly coming off the arms of defender Martin Caceres following a corner. The hosts earned some rough justice when striker Toni headed home seven minutes after the restart to reduce arrears. Ironically, Toni and several other Verona players appeared to have breached Juve's defence as Romulo whipped in a free kick that Toni headed past Buffon at the keeper's near post. Former Southampton striker Pablo Dani Osvaldo made his Juve debut when he replaced Llorente on 65 minutes and missed scoring by inches when he swiped Andrea Pirlo's through ball past Rafael and off the post. Buffon then produced a fine one-handed save to keep out Toni's left-footed strike and Verona had another penalty claim denied after the ball came off the arm of Stephan Lichsteiner as the Swiss marked Toni at Buffon's near post. Juve continued to threaten, however, and Arturo Vidal tested Rafael with a strike which the keeper did well to push over. But the visitors were stunned at the death. The hosts won a free kick to the right of Juve's area, it was quickly taken and Romulo whipped in a cross which Gomez headed past Buffon after slipping between Angelo Ogbonna and Pogba. "It's an unbelievable feeling... and feels really special taking a point from such an epic side," said Gomez. In yesterday's late game veteran defender Walter Samuel headed a 48th minute winner past Gianluca Pegolo to secure a 1-0 win for dominant Inter Milan at home to Sassuolo. Inter routed Sassuolo 7-0 away at the start of the season but although the league newcomers remain in the relegation zone there was to be no repeat as Pegolo saved the visitors on several occasions. Inter's win moved them up to fifth at the expense of Verona following their earlier defeat. – AFP, February 10, 2014. |
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