Tokyo governor
warns of spiralling
2020 costs
15
Zampa and Klinger
star in Australia’s
41-run T20 win
17
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2017
Leaders Real stunned by struggling Valencia Page 18
SEVILLA: Sevilla’s Argentinian midfielder Joaquin Correa (C) celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg football match Sevilla FC vs Leicester City at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan
stadium in Sevilla yesterday. — AFP
Vardy gives Leicester hope in Sevilla defeat
SEVILLA: Jamie Vardy’s first Champions League goal
gave Leicester City a lifeline in their last 16 tie despite
going down 2-1 to Sevilla in yesterday’s first leg.
Goals from Pablo Sarabia and Joaquin Correa had
given Sevilla a deserved 2-0 lead, whilst Correa also saw
a penalty saved by the inspired Kasper Schmeichel.
However, despite Sevilla’s dominance, Schmeichel’s heroics and Vardy’s strike means the English champions are well
in the tie ahead of the second leg at home on March 14.
The two sides couldn’t be in more contrasting form
with Sevilla just three points off the top of La Liga,
whilst Leicester face a relegation battle just a year after
defying all the odds to win the Premier League. Sevilla’s
first big chance arrived 14 minutes in when Correa
showed more fight and fleetness of foot than the
Leicester defence inside the area and was chopped
down by visiting captain Wes Morgan.
Correa won a battle with his teammates to take the
spot-kick, but was less successful with a tame effort that
Schmeichel easily collected. The Dane then showed
fine reflexes to get down low to his left to parry Sergio
Escudero’s low driven effort from the edge of the box.
Sevilla finally made their superiority count 24 minutes
in when Escudero’s cross from the left was met with a
powerful header from his opposite wing-back Sarabia
that nestled in the far corner for his ninth goal of the
season. The one way traffic continued as Stefan
Jovetic’s looping long-range effort was turned over by
Schmeichel before the ‘keeper produced another stunning stop to once again deny Correa.
Leicester didn’t have a single effort on goal in the
first-half, but did at least test Sergio Rico early in the second period, albeit with a routine save when he collected
Wilfred Ndidi’s volley from range. Vitolo then nearly
undid Schmeichel’s good work in the first half with an
audacious effort from the narrowest of angles that
clipped the inside of the Leicester ‘keeper’s near post.
Just as the visitors were beginning to gain a foothold,
Sevilla doubled their lead as Jovetic held off two
Leicester defenders then laid the ball perfectly into
Correa’s path to finish high past Schmeichel from close
range. However, Claudio Ranieri’s men responded to get
an away goal that could prove vital in three weeks’ time.
Danny Drinkwater broke down the left and his low
cross was turned home on the stretch by Vardy for his
first goal since December. Leicester still had to see out a
late onslaught as Sevilla sought to restore their twogoal advantage.
Adil Rami came closest when his thunderous header
came back off the bar, but Leicester held out to maintain hope their maiden Champions League campaign
can stretch into the last eight. — AFP
Pjaca, Alves strikes lift
Juve past depleted Porto
PORTO: Juventus' goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon (L) and
Porto's Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas greet one another
at the end of the UEFA Champions League round of 16
second leg football match FC Porto vs Juventus at the
Dragao stadium in Porto yesterday. — AFP
PORTO: Croatian starlet Marko Pjaca and
Dani Alves came off the bench to strike late
as Juventus overcame 10-man Porto 2-0 in
their Champions League last 16 first leg yesterday. Porto hosted Juventus, the beaten
2015 finalists, looking for their first win in
four meetings between the sides-and confident in their chances after a recent sixgame winning run. But the hosts endured a
disastrous opening half at the Estadio do
Dragao, former Inter Milan midfielder Alex
Telles sent off for a second bookable
offence in the 27th minute.
After seeing both Gonzalo Higuain and
Paulo Dybala come close, Higuain notably
denied on 39 minutes by an alert Iker
Casillas, Massimiliano Allegri replaced Juan
Cuadrado with Pjaca on 67 minutes.
The 22-year-old capitalised only six minutes later, starting a great move before firing Dybala’s return pass past Casillas from
15 yards out. Allegri replaced right-back
Stephan Lichtsteiner with Alves immediately afterwards and the former Barcelona star
scored with practically his first touch of the
game to wrap up a precious win for the
Turin giants.
Deploying an attack-minded 4-2-3-1 formation designed to squeeze goals out of
Higuain, Juve were forced to defend deep as
Porto took control in the opening stages. But
early promise failed to threaten Gianluigi
Buffon in the Juve goal, Yacine Brahimi’s free
kick curling over after Giorgio Chiellini, who
passed a late fitness test with fellow defender Andrea Barzagli, fouled striker Andre Silva.
Juve eventually settled and Higuain
looked on his way to breaking the deadlock
on 18 minutes until Marcano slid in to dis-
possess the Argentine yards from goal. When
Miralem Pjanic fired an enticing ball into the
area for Mandzukic, Casillas was forced out
quickly to slide the ball away with his feet.
Juventus were gaining momentum but
Dybala fired a great chance over Casillas’s
crossbar after Sami Khedira’s smart overhead
flick. Telles earned his first caution on 25 minutes for a foul on Cuadrado and gave
Juventus a welcome boost when he saw red
barely two minutes later for a foul on
Lichtsteiner.
Santo replaced Silva with Miguel Layun
three minutes later but it took a superb reflex
save from Casillas to stop Higuain’s deflected
effort from squeezing in at the base of the
post on 39 minutes.
Casillas was beaten on the stroke of halftime but Dybala’s shot from the edge of the
area came off the base of the ‘keeper’s
upright. The players left the pitch at half-time
to a chorus of whistles, although they were
aimed mostly at German referee Felix Brych
after a controversial opening period capped
by Maxi Pereira being cautioned for a foul on
Mandzukic.
A reminder that Porto had no intention
of sitting back to defend came just three
minutes after the restart, Hector Herrera
heading Layun’s great cross to the back post
into Buffon’s side-netting. Porto remained
resolute, but eventually buckled under
Juve’s persistence. Khedira came close after
pouncing on a poor headed clearance by
Ruben Neves and then Higuain bamboozled
his two markers before unleashing a rightfooted drive that curled just wide of
Casillas’s far post. — AFP
PORTO: Juventus’ Brazilian defender Alex Sandro (L) vies with Porto’s Mexican midfielder Hector Herrera during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg
football match FC Porto vs Juventus at the Dragao stadium in Porto yesterday. — AFP