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SU N DAY, MAY 3, 2015
SPORTS
Suarez hits hat-trick, Barca rout Cordoba
FIRST HAT-TRICK: Barcelona’s Luis Suarez, right, celebrates with teammates after scoring one of this three goals during their La Liga match against Cordoba CF at El Arcangel Stadium in Cordoba on Saturday. – AFP
Suarez scored his first hat-trick for Barcelona as the Catalan giants crushed Cordoba 8-0 to take another step towards La Liga title
MADRID: Luis Suarez scored his first hat-trick for Barcelona as the Catalan giants crushed Cordoba 8-0 on Saturday to take another step towards La Liga title. Cordoba, who haven’t won since January, held out for 42 minutes, but a four-goal blitz in 11 minutes either side of half-time ended their return to the top flight after just one season. Ivan Rakitic smashed home the opener in style before Suarez added the second with the final touch of the first-half. Lionel Messi, Suarez and Gerard Pique all then headed home before Messi had the simplest of finishes to roll in his 40th league goal of the
season to move one ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo at the league’s top goalscorer. Messi then allowed Neymar to convert from the penalty spot before Suarez completed his hattrick two minutes from time. Victory takes Barca five points clear of Real Madrid. Cordoba could yet be handed a reprieve from relegation should Almeria lose their appeal against the deduction of three points for unpaid transfer fees, or Elche face sanctions for overdue debts to the tax authorities. Despite Wednesday’s looming meeting with former Barca boss Pep Guardiola and German cham-
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pions Bayern Munich in their Champions League semifinal, first-leg, Luis Enrique named his strongest available side. Neymar wasted a great chance to get the visitors off to a flying start when he volleyed over from Alves’s cross. Cordoba missed a similar opening moments later as Florin Andone headed over Edimar’s dangerous ball in from the left. Messi also uncharacteristically passed up a great opportunity to open the scoring as he shot straight at Juan Carlos after brilliantly dribbling past three defenders, whilst another Neymar mishit shot came back off the post. However, it was only a matter of time before the league leaders made the breakthrough and they did so in style when Messi’s lovely cushioned pass picked out Rakitic and he crashed a shot into the roof of the net. Suarez made it 2-0 just before the break when he latched onto a similar pass from Andres Iniesta to sneak the ball between Carlos’s legs. The one way traffic continued af-
ter the break as Messi expertly nodded home Alves’s inch-perfect cross just a minute into the second-half. Alves’s brilliant form in recent weeks has been unimpeded by ongoing speculation over his future as he once more bombed to the right to cross for Suarez to head in his 23rd goal of the season. Neymar’s off-day in front of goal continued when he sliced wide with just the keeper to beat from Suarez’s inviting pass. However, Barca didn’t have to wait long for a fifth as Pique rose unchallenged to head in from Xavi’s corner 25 minutes from time. Messi rolled home the sixth into an empty net thanks to unselfish play by Neymar and the four-time World Player of the Year returned the favour by allowing the Brazilian to slot home from the penalty spot after he had been felled by Adrian Gunino. And Suarez rounded off the scoring by completing his first Barca hat-trick with a simple finish after Xavi’s blocked effort had left the helpless Carlos on the floor. - AFP
EPL
Burnley, QPR slide to brink of relegation LONDON: Burnley and Queens Park Rangers were both left on the verge of relegation from the Premier League following an eventful day at the foot of the table on Saturday. Bottom club Burnley, promoted last season, lost 1-0 at West Ham United, who prevailed through a 24th minute Mark Noble penalty after visiting defender Michael Duff had been sent off for a foul on Cheikhou Kouyate. Sean Dyche’s side are now eight points adrift of safety with only nine points still to play for and QPR are only a point better off following a 2-1 defeat at Liverpool. The game at Anfield took place against a sombre backdrop, with players from both teams sporting black armbands in tribute to Rebecca Ellison, wife of QPR defender Rio Ferdinand, who died of breast cancer on Friday night. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was targeted by a protest banner calling for his dismissal that was flown over the stadium by a small plane, but he saw his side take a 19th minute lead through Philippe Coutinho. Leroy Fer equalised with a volley from a Joey Barton corner in the 73rd minute, before Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard saw a penalty saved by former England colleague Rob Green. But the momentum swung back in the hosts’ favour when Nedum Onuoha was sent off for a second bookable offence and Gerrard atoned for his penalty blunder by heading home an 87th minute winner. Sunderland moved in the opposite direction after Jordi Gomez scored two penalties in a 2-1 win at home to Southampton, who replied through Sadio Mane and had James Ward-Prowse sent off. The victory left Dick Advocaat’s side a point below fourthbottom Leicester City with a game in hand. Aston Villa likewise bolstered their chances of avoiding the drop as Christian Benteke took his tally to 11 goals in nine games with a brace in a 3-2 win over Everton. Tom Cleverley also scored for Villa, with Romelu Lukaku and Phil Jagielka hitting back for Everton, as Tim Sherwood’s side
Sean Dyche’s side are now eight points adrift of safety with only nine points still to play for and QPR are only a point better off following a 2-1 defeat at Liverpool preserved their two-point cushion over the bottom three. Leicester had earlier enhanced their survival hopes with a onesided 3-0 home win over flatlining Newcastle United. Argentine striker Leonardo Ulloa put Leicester in front with a header after only 36 seconds at the King Power Stadium and skipper Wes Morgan made it 2-0 with another header in the 17th minute. Ulloa added a third goal with a penalty early in the second half and Newcastle finished the game with nine men after defenders Mike Williamson and Daryl Janmaat were both sent off for two bookable offences. “We have to give our supporters something to believe in,” said Leicester manager Nigel Pearson, who hit the headlines for branding a journalist “an ostrich” after his side’s 3-1 loss to Chelsea on Wednesday. “They (Newcastle) still have more points than us. They’ve still got work to do, but so do we.” It was Leicester’s fifth win in six league games and took them to within a point of John Carver’s Newcastle, who have lost eighth consecutive league games. Elsewhere, Jefferson Montero and Ki Sung-yeung scored late goals as Swansea City won 2-0 at home to Stoke City, who had Marc Wilson sent off. Long-time leaders Chelsea will look to secure the title on Sunday when they host Crystal Palace needing three points to become champions. - AFP
C O R O NAT I O N T I M E
Chelsea out to set seal on season of dominance LONDON: Having seemingly been promised to them all season, the Premier League title will be within Chelsea’s grasp on Sunday when they host Crystal Palace needing three points to become champions. While the free-flowing football of the autumn has faded, Chelsea have unquestionably been the season’s stand-out team and their coronation is now only a question of time. It is five years since they last won the title and the circumstances then were quite different, with a side steered by Carlo Ancelotti eviscerating Wigan Athletic 8-0 at Stamford Bridge on the campaign’s final day to set a new Premier League scoring record of 103 goals in a season. The current Chelsea team have faced accusations that they are ‘boring’ over the past few weeks, following a run of seven wins by a single-goal margin and three draws. But as manager Jose Mourinho has pointed out, they have won more games (24), been beaten fewer times (twice) and kept more clean sheets (16) than any other team, while only reigning champions Manchester City have outscored them (70 to 68). It has seen the League Cup-win-
Drogba can’t wait for ‘crazy’ Chelsea Sunday LONDON: Veteran striker Didier Drogba is expecting a “crazy” Stamford Bridge atmosphere when Chelsea attempt to clinch the Premier League title for the first time in five years with a win at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday. The 37-year-old former Ivory Coast international is dreaming of an avalanche of goals against London rivals Palace, just like
ners open up a 13-point gap over closest rivals City and Arsenal and Mourinho now just wants his players to finish the job. “We need two or three points to be champions. Let’s say three to make sure we don’t depend on goal difference,” he told his pre-match press conference. “We need a victory or we need three points with three draws. Obviously we want to finish as soon
2010 when Chelsea wrapped up the championship with an 8-0 home drubbing of Wigan Athletic. “I remember when we had to play Wigan to win the title, the atmosphere was crazy,” Drogba told the club’s in-house television channel. “I think Sunday is going to be the same and I hope we are going to score a lot of goals for the fans. “It’s a derby as well. Crystal
as possible. If we can do it at home, better. If we can do it on Sunday, even better. That’s what we have in our minds.” Twelve years on from Roman Abramovich’s purchase of the club, Chelsea continue to lag behind traditional heavyweights Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal in terms of overall league titles won. But while a fifth league crown would leave them still well short
Palace are going to come and show what they can do and try to disturb us but really I think Sunday has to be a blue day.” Drogba was on the bench for much of this season until top scorer Diego Costa suffered a hamstring injury in a 3-2 victory at Hull City on March 22 and since then the Ivorian has featured regularly in the starting lineup.
of United’s record of 20, it would also be their 13th major trophy in 11 years, which no other English team can match. Pardew wary of ‘emotion’ Mourinho has revealed that 19goal top scorer Diego Costa will miss Sunday’s London derby due to ongoing hamstring problems and may not play again this season if Chelsea secure the title.
“I can’t wait for Sunday,” he said. “We just want to win the league now, that’s the most important thing. Everybody is focused, everybody is waiting for Sunday to happen and to come quick because we really want to play that game.” Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea have a 13-point lead at the top of the table with five matches left to play. - Reuters
“We don’t need to rush,” explained Mourinho, who won the league twice with Chelsea during his first stint at the club between 2004 and 2007. “We are trying to give the maximum stability for him to be stronger and stronger. If we don’t need (him), probably he won’t play again.” Loic Remy is in contention to lead the line after overcoming a calf injury, while Thibaut Courtois will
hope to return in goal after sitting out Wednesday’s 3-1 win at Leicester City due to a minor hip complaint. There is little riding on the game for Palace, who are 12 points clear of the relegation zone in midtable thanks to their superb burst of form following Alan Pardew’s appointment as manager on January 2. But after consecutive defeats at home to West Bromwich Albion and Hull City and with thorny fixtures against United and Liverpool to follow, Pardew wants his players to rise to the occasion. “We’ve got to try and produce a performance that doesn’t get carried away in the emotion of the day,” he said. “They will dominate possession and the two-thirds of the pitch that we have to defend, but we carry a threat.” Pardew has doubts over strikers Marouane Chamakh and Fraizer Campbell, both of whom have hamstring injuries, but full-back Joel Ward could return after a shin problem. Palace have not won at Stamford Bridge since March 1982, but their recent away form has been impressive, with a return of five wins, two draws and just one defeat from their last eight games on the road. - AFP