S PORTSSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2016

SWANSEA: Bob Bradley celebrated his firstwin as Swansea manager when FernandoLlorente’s stoppage-time double clinched awild 5-4 victory over Crystal Palace in theEnglish Premier League yesterday.

Swansea led 3-1 with 15 minutes to gobut faced a sixth successive winless gameafter going 4-3 behind by conceding threegoals in nine minutes.

The comeback ended Bradley’s wait fora Premier League win but Palace managerAlan Pardew was condemned to a sixth lossin a row. Swansea climbed off the bottomof the 20-team standings and Palace wastwo points ahead in 16th.

It started so well for Palace as Swansea’saerial struggles were exposed against thepowerful Christian Benteke. He nodded theball down into the path of Wilfried Zaha,who made the most of timid defendingfrom Neil Taylor and Federico Fernandez tofire his fourth goal of the season past goal-keeper Lukasz Fabianski.

But the mood changed inside LibertyStadium when Jason Puncheon wasadjudged to have fouled Jack Cork on theedge of the penalty area. Gylfi Sigurdssonstruck a terrific free kick past WayneHennessey to equalize in the 36th.

It was a lifeline for Swansea as the hostrarely threatened up until that point, but italmost threw it away two minutes laterwhen Zaha headed Yohan Cabaye’s crossagainst the crossbar before the ball wasbundled to safety.

After the break, Palace forward ConnorWickham was taken off on a stretcher withwhat appeared to be a knee injury. TheLondon club was being pushed back asSigurdsson and Modou Barrow becameincreasingly influential and Swansea tookthe lead in the 66th.

Substitute Llorente’s first touch provingcrucial after heading toward the goal.Although Yohan Cabaye stopped the ballon the line with the possible use of an arm,Leroy Fer was primed to squeeze home therebound. Two minutes later Palace strug-gled to cope with another set-piece and Ferfinished again at the far post for his sixthgoal of the season.

But Palace gave itself a lifeline whenJames Tomkins bundled home beforeZaha’s cross struck Cork and looped overFabianski. Palace surged back in front whenBenteke found the net off a post in acrowded goalmouth.

But Swansea was not finished yet andLlorente diverted home a shot fromSigurdsson before prodding in the win-ner.—AP

MADRID: Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos, centre, attempts an over heard kick next to Sporting’s Carlos Carmona, right, during a Spanish La Ligasoccer match between Real Madrid and Sporting at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, yesterday. Real Madrid won 2-1. —AP

MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice as RealMadrid were thankful to a late missed penaltyfrom Duje Cop to open up a seven-point leadover Barcelona at the top of La Liga with a 2-1win over Sporting Gijon yesterday.

Madrid looked set for an easy afternoon asRonaldo opened the scoring from the penaltyspot before he headed home a second inside 20minutes. However, Carlos Carmona halvedSporting’s deficit 10 minutes before half-timeand the struggling visitors were handed a hugechance for an unexpected point 12 minutesfrom time when Nacho brought down VictorRodriguez. Yet, Cop sent his penalty high andwide as Real held on amidst a torrential down-pour to extend their unbeaten run to 31 gamesin all competitions. Barca can cut the gap backto four points when they travel to Real Sociedadtoday ahead of the first Clasico of the seasonbetween Spanish football’s two giants at theCamp Nou next weekend.

“It is a game for us to forget because thingsdidn’t go as we would have liked,” said Madridboss Zinedine Zidane.

“We lacked a little bit of everything, but weare happy to get the three points which is themost important thing.”

Fresh from netting a hat-trick against AtleticoMadrid last weekend, Ronaldo continued hisreturn to scoring form with a quickfire double tomove ahead of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez asLa Liga’s top scorer. Sporting had the first bigchance to go in front when Carmona fired widewith just goalkeeper Keylor Navas to beat.

However, they were quickly behind whenLucas Vazquez was naively chopped down bySergio Alvarez on five minutes and Ronaldoemphatically converted the resulting spot-kick.

The Portuguese’s second finish was evenmore impressive as he buried Nacho’s cross fromthe left with a powerful header that left DiegoMarino no chance in the Sporting goal.

In between times Ronaldo had also headedwastefully wide when unmarked from a corner,while Marino parried another fierce effort as thethree-time World Player of the Year chased his40th hat-trick for Madrid. Instead, it wasSporting who halved the arrears before half-

time when a rare misplaced pass from LukaModric allowed Isma Lopez to cross from the leftand Carmona’s outstretched leg prodded theball past Navas. In deteriorating conditionscaused by the torrential rain, Madrid struggledto get going after the break.

Zidane withdrew captain Sergio Ramos withan eye on the Clasico against Barcelona nextSaturday with the Spanish international a yellowcard away from missing that game through sus-pension. However, that decision nearly backfiredas Nacho moved into central defence and quick-ly brought down Sporting substitute VictorRodriguez inside the area. Cop pardonedNacho’s mistake, though, as the Croatian lentback and sent the ball well wide of Navas’s goalmuch to the relief of thousands inside theBernabeu. Ronaldo should have completed hishat-trick late on as he broke clear on goal, buthis low shot was too close to Marino as Real hadto see out a nervy final few minutes to secure asixth straight La Liga win.

A 10th straight game without a win leavesSporting still rooted in the bottom three. —AFP

Ronaldo double extends Real lead over Barcelona

Bradley secures first Swanseasuccess with 5-4 win over Palace

Swansea 5

Crystal Palace 4 Matches on TV

(Local Timings)

English Premier League

Watford v Stoke City 15:00beIN SPORTS 2 HDArsenal v Bournemouth 17:15beIN SPORTS 2 HDMan’ United v West Ham 19:30beIN SPORTS 2 HDSouthampton v Everton 19:30beIN SPORTS 8 HD

Spanish League Primera Div

Villarreal v Deportivo 14:00beIN SPORTS 3 HDOsasuna v Atletico 18:15beIN SPORTS 3 HDVigo v Balaidos 20:30 beIN SPORTS 3 HDReal Sociedad v Barcelona 22:45beIN SPORTS 3 HD

Italian Calcio League Serie A

Palermo v Lazio 14:30beIN SPORTS 4 HDBologna v Atalanta 17:00beIN SPORTS 7 HDGenoa v Juventus 17:00beIN SPORTS 4 HDCagliari v Udinese 17:00beIN SPORTS 8 HDCrotone v Sampdoria 17:00beIN SPORTS 12 HD ENRoma v Pescara 22:45beIN SPORTS 4 HD

German Bundesliga 1st Div

Schalke v Darmstadt 17:30beIN SPORTS 5 HDHertha Berlin v Mainz 19:30beIN SPORTS

French League 1st Div

Angers v Saint Etienne 17:00beIN SPORTS Nice v Bastia 19:00beIN SPORTS 6 HDLyonnais v Lyonnais 22:45beIN SPORTS 6 HD

BURNLEY: Manchester City overcameBurnley ’s spirited challenge as SergioAguero’s double inspired their fightback fora 2-1 win at Turf Moor yesterday.

Aguero’s decisive brace took his remark-able scoring run to 33 goals in 34 PremierLeague games after Dean Marney had giv-en Burnley a surprise lead over the titlecontenders.

City’s recovery secured their sixth win inseven away games and moved them to thetop of the table, although they could sur-render pole position to Liverpool orChelsea later in the day.

It was the first time this season that PepGuardiola’s team had come from behind towin, and the first time since Septemberthey had won back-to-back league games,having triumphed at Crystal Palace lasttime out. Burnley sprung a surprise byincluding former England goalkeeper PaulRobinson, now 37, after Tom Heatoninjured a calf during training to miss hisfirst game since joining the club.

Robinson, signed on a free transfer fromBlackburn, had not played in the PremierLeague since 2012 and had gone 802 dayswithout a first-team game, but he showedhe still has the ability that earned him 41caps and a career that took in Tottenhamand Leeds. Burnley were defending one ofthe best home records in the PremierLeague, having won four of their previoussix games - a run bettered only by Chelsea,Liverpool and Tottenham - and they tookthe game to City.

The visitors were fortunate not to con-cede a penalty as early as the fifth minute,but the referee Andre Marriner waved awaythe protests when Jeff Hendrick wentdown after an elbow in the back fromNicolas Otamendi.

FLYING SAVE Guardiola made five changes from the

team that played in midweek in theChampions League, but they struggled tocome to terms with Burnley’s approach andenergy. Robinson did have to tip an effortfrom Argentina forward Aguero round apost but then, on 13 minutes, the goal-keeper initiated the opening goal asBurnley took the lead.

Robinson launched a long free-kick intothe City penalty area and Otamendi’s

attempted clearing header fell invitingly forlong-serving midfielder Marney, who rifledthe ball past Claudio Bravo’s dive for hisfirst Premier League goal in seven years.

City responded but Robinson made afine one-handed save to deny Nolito andAguero lifted his own effort over the barfrom Fernandinho’s lay-off. Burnley eventu-ally succumbed on 36 minutes and almostinevitably, it was Aguero who scored hisninth goal in 11 Premier League games and15th in all competitions, pouncing at thefar post after Nolito’s initial shot from a cor-ner had been blocked.

The scene appeared set for City to strideinto the lead before half-time, butRobinson produced his best moment sofar, a superb one-handed flying save tokeep out Aguero’s fierce shot on the turn.

Burnley, having lost the advantage, alsolost scorer Marney to an injury and thenIceland midfielder Johann Gudmundssonlimped off with a hamstring strain beforehalf-time. City took the lead on the hourafter Yaya Toure went down in the area andBurnley made a hash of clearing beforeFernandinho was able to cut the ball backtowards the near post where Aguero putthe ball in with his knee.

Burnley refused to go down without afight, but Michael Keane’s well-directedheader was cleared, George Boyd had ashot blocked, and substitute Ashley Barneshad an overhead kick well saved as Cityheld out. —AFP

Aguero double earns ManCity 2-1 win at Burnley

Burnley 1

Man City 2

Leicester 2

Middlesbrough 2

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool’s English midfielder James Milner scores their second goal fromthe penalty spot during the English Premier League football match between Liverpooland Sunderland at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England yesterday. —AFP

LEICESTER: Leicester salvaged a dramatic 2-2 drawagainst Middlesbrough as Islam Slimani converted apenalty deep into stoppage-time at the King PowerStadium yesterday. Claudio Ranieri’s side trailed twiceto goals from Middlesbrough striker Alvaro Negredo,but Riyad Mahrez got Leicester’s first equaliser with apenalty before his Algerian team-mate Slimani struckfrom the spot to earn a point with virtually the last kickof a thrilling encounter.

Although Leicester finished the happier thanks totheir late escape, the Foxes remain too close to the rele-gation zone for comfort and their fairytale title seems alifetime ago just seven months later. Middlesbroughwent into the match as the Premier League’s joint low-est scorers, but they threatened first as Adama Traoresped past Christian Fuchs and drove in a cross-shot thatRon-Robert Zieler parried to Marten de Roon, whoswept his effort wide. Karanka’s team had found theirstride quickly and Negredo’s 977-minute goal droughtcame to an end in the 13th minute.

Negredo, on loan from Valencia, had gone 11 gameswithout a goal since scoring in the opening game of theseason, but the Spanish striker was in unusually clinicalmood as he exchanged passes with Gaston Ramirez andfired high into the net from inside the penalty area.

Leicester’s 2-1 Champions League win over Brugge inmidweek was the latest memorable moment in theirmaiden voyage in Europe’s elite club competition.Ranieri’s men have been far less inspired in their titledefence, but they roused themselves after fallingbehind and Japan striker Shinji Okazaki hit the bar witha spectacular scissor kick from Mahrez’s cross. TheFoxes’ pressure was rewarded with a 34th minuteequaliser when Middlesbrough defender CalumChambers was penalised for handball and Mahrezstroked home the spot-kick.

After scoring 13 times by this stage last season,Leicester striker Jamie Vardy has found himself stuck ina rut with 14 games without a goal since he netted hissecond of the campaign on September 10. Vardy couldhave broken his barren streak when Okazaki crossedtowards him just before half time, but Ramirez clearedas the England international prepared to shoot.

It would prove another frustrating afternoon forVardy, who was booked and never looked likely to geton the scoresheet before being substituted midwaythrough the second half.

Vardy was replaced by Slimani and Mahrez alsodeparted as Ranieri tried to pep up his attack, yetMiddlesbrough regained the lead in the 71st minute.Adam Forshaw’s high pass over the Leicester defencesent Negredo racing clear and he fired a low strike pastZieler. —AFP

Slimani spot on to save Leicester

Liverpool overcomes Coutinho injury, beats Sunderland 2-0

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool overcame theloss of Philippe Coutinho to a serious-looking first-half injury to beatSunderland 2-0 and keep up its title chal-lenge in the English Premier League yes-terday.

Coutinho was carried off on a stretch-er in the 34th minute with his right leg ina brace after a challenge withSunderland midfielder Didier Ndong.Divock Origi came on as Coutinho’sreplacement and put Liverpool ahead inthe 75th minute with a curling shot intothe far corner. James Milner converted apenalty in stoppage time to seal victoryafter Ndong tripped Sadio Mane.

Liverpool, which started the 13thround of games in second place, has lostonly once this season. The exact natureof Coutinho’s injury wasn’t immediatelyclear. The loss put an end to Sunderland’smini-revival, after back-to-back wins lift-ed the team off the bottom of the stand-ings. Sunderland manager David Moyes’

poor record at Anfield continued -including his spells at Everton andManchester United, Moyes hasn’t won in14 games.

The visitors conceded 78 percent ofpossession but managed to limitLiverpool to a handful of half-chances inthe first half.

Part of Sunderland’s success in negat-ing the threat of Liverpool, which scored17 times in five previous home leaguematches, was Jason Denayer ’s man-marking job on Coutinho. The one occa-sion that the on-loan Manchester Citydefender lost his man resulted inCoutinho’s injury, as Ndong’s follow-through caught the right foot of theBrazilian, who was trying to jink past him.

Sunderland’s one chance before thebreak fell to former Everton midfielderSteven Pienaar but goalkeeper LorisKarius just got out quick enough toblock. Liverpool’s frustration finally end-ed 15 minutes from time when JordanHenderson picked out Origi on the left ofthe penalty area and the striker threadeda shot across a crowded box and insidethe far post.

After Milner stepped up to score hisfifth goal of the season, Liverpool man-ager Juergen Klopp had the luxury ofhanding 17-year-old academy graduateBen Woodburn a debut. — AP

Liverpool 2

Sunderland 0

BURNLEY: Burnley’s English defenderJames Tarkowski (2nd L) vies withManchester City’s Ivorian midfielderYaya Toure and Manchester City’sBrazilian midfielder Fernandinho (up)during the English Premier League foot-ball match between Burnley andManchester City. —AFP