FRANCE
PSG salvage a point
Zlatan Ibrahimovic salvaged a 1-1 home draw for Paris Saint-Germain against RSC Anderlecht as the French champions were made to wait for a UEFA Champions League round-of-16 spot on Tuesday. Demy de Zeeuw opened the scoring for the Belgians in the 68th minute, only for Ibrahimovic to equalize two minutes later from inside the penalty area. Anderlecht were reduced to 10 men in the 82nd minute when Sacha Kljestan was shown a second yellow card, but the visitors, who lost 5-0 at home to PSG two weeks previously, held firm. The French side lead Group C with 10 points from four games, three ahead of Olympiakos. “I would not say we lacked the desire to play,” PSG coach Laurent Blanc told a press conference. “We were too average in all departments, we were not good technically, which had not happened to us in a along time. Anderlecht were rewarded for their efforts.”
GREECE
Roberto gains his revenge
An inspired Roberto gained sweet revenge on former club SL Benfica by helping Olympiakos earn three precious points in a 1-0 UEFA Champions League win on Tuesday. The Spanish goalkeeper, who left Benfica under a cloud in 2011 after just one season, was the difference between the Group C opponents, making a string of superb saves as the Greek champions held on for victory courtesy of Kostas Manolas’ first-half header. “Roberto was something greater than a saint tonight, maybe only the Pope is more saintly,” said delighted Olympiakos coach Michel, who ran across the pitch to congratulate his goalkeeper at the final whistle. “He had a difficult time at Benfica and sometimes football is unjust like that, then at the next minute you are vindicated, and I believe that is the case with Roberto. He proved his worth with his performance tonight, he really was a tower of strength. It has earned him an invitation to my house this week for dinner.”
UKRAINE
Bayer draw in Ukraine
Bayer 04 Leverkusen took a step toward qualification for the UEFA Champions league round-of-16 with a battling 0-0 draw at Shakhtar Donetsk in Group A on Tuesday. “The game turned more difficult than we could expect, Shakhtar are a completely different team when playing at home. Our ’keeper Bernd Leno had a few lethal saves earning us a point in this game,” Bayer coach Sami Hyypia told reporters. “Four points in two games with them is a good outcome for us. There is everything still open in our group.” “We are really upset about not winning this game,” Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu said. “Our young players had five or six clear chances to score, but it was the night of their ’keeper Bernd Leno and we are applauding his outstanding reactions.”
DENMARK
Braaten downs Galatasaray
Daniel Braaten’s deft flick gave Copenhagen a 1-0 win over Galatasaray on Tuesday as the Danish champions stayed in the hunt for a place in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages. Braaten got the hosts off to a flying start, applying a glancing touch to Rurik Gislason’s precise center to turn the ball home six minutes into the Group B match. Galatasaray clawed their way back into the game, hitting a post and having a goal disallowed for offside, but despite going close several times in a pulsating second half they could not fashion an equalizer. “It’s fantastic. It’s brilliant and indescribably beautiful,” Copenhagen defender Lars Jacobsen told TV station 3+.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Rafael Nadal on Tuesday lost in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at the Madrid Open, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles. Nadal said that he was feeling good about his progress following his latest injury layoff. Nadal called it a “positive week” in every way and said his body held up well. “I was able to play four matches, a couple of tough matches,” Nadal said. “So very positive, winning three matches, playing four matches at the high level of tennis. I enjoyed a lot playing at home. I leave here with
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at