CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Anderlecht draw with Malaga
Anderlecht were eliminated from Europe on Tuesday when they drew 2-2 in the Champions League at Malaga, who had already won Group C, in a match marred by clashes between police and visiting fans in the stands. Zenit St Petersburg’s 1-0 victory at AC Milan, who clinched second place last month, sent the Russians into the Europa League in third spot with seven points, one behind the Italians and two ahead of the Belgian side. Malaga captain Duda twice put the home side ahead at the Rosaleda with a fine curling effort in the 45th minute and a well-struck shot in the 61st. Milan Jovanovic’s chip leveled for the visitors five minutes after the break and Dieudonne Mbokani made it 2-2 in the 89th minute, before Kameni pulled off the last of several excellent saves to deny Mbokani in added time. Unbeaten Malaga, making their debut in Europe’s elite club competition, have 12 points from their six group matches.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Zagreb end losing streak
Dinamo Zagreb ended an 11-game losing streak in the Champions League when they drew 1-1 with Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday in a Group A tie interrupted by heavy snowfall. Andriy Yarmolenko put the visitors in front on the stroke of halftime, but a penalty by Ivan Krstanovic deep into stoppage-time at the end of the game earned Zagreb a point. Zagreb finished bottom of the group with one point from six games, four points adrift of Kiev who qualified for the Europa League in third spot. Paris Saint-Germain (15 points) and Porto (13 points) went through to the last 16 of the Champions League after the French side defeated the 2004 winners 2-1 at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
BUNDESLIGA
Slomka to extent contract
Hannover 96 coach Mirko Slomka is to extend his contract until 2016 and will sign the new deal ahead of Sunday’s visit of Bayer 04 Leverkusen, the Bundesliga club announced on Tuesday. “The risks are minimal, the deal is agreed and we are set to go ahead,” club president Martin Kind said. The 45-year-old — whose side are away to Spanish outfit Levante UD today in a battle for top spot in their Europa League group — has been in his post since 2010 and also finished his playing career with the club. The team have qualified for the Europa League twice and are already guaranteed a place in the last-32 this year as they attempt to improve on their 12th place league position with the arrival of second-placed Leverkusen.
PREMIER LEAGUE
Chelsea to sign Wallace
Chelsea announced on Tuesday that they have agreed to sign teenage Brazilian fullback Wallace from Fluminense. The 18-year-old will not officially join Chelsea until next month’s transfer window, but he will then be immediately loaned back to the Brazilian club until the end of the season. Chelsea did not reveal how much they had paid to sign the player, but reports in the British media said he was valued at around £5 million (US$8 million). The European champions reportedly acquired a 40 percent stake in Wallace as part of the deal that took Brazil-born Portugal midfielder Deco from Chelsea to Fluminense two years ago. Wallace, a Brazil Under-20 international, will become the fifth Brazilian member of Chelsea’s first-team squad, alongside David Luiz, Ramires, Oscar and Luis Piazon. Wallace’s transfer is a timely piece of good news for Chelsea, who are 10 points off the pace in the Premier League after a run of seven games without a win and on the brink of elimination from the Champions League.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two