PREMIER LEAGUE
Coach sent off as United tie
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was on Sunday sent off for the second time in a month as the controversial coach watched his side draw 1-1 at home to West Ham United and lose more ground in the Premier League title race. This time, Mourinho’s crime was simple petulance, booting a bottle down the touchline after what he felt was an unjust booking for Paul Pogba. Arsenal moved within three points of the top spot after Alexis Sanchez scored twice in a 3-1 home win over AFC Bournemouth. Southampton found a new hero in 19-year-old winger Josh Sims, whose assured debut included setting up Charlie Austin to head what proved to be the winner only 43 seconds into a 1-0 victory over Everton. Stoke City took advantage of an unwitting own-goal by Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes to earn a 1-0 win.
LIGUE 1
Cavani leads PSG to 2-1 win
Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday closed to within a point of Ligue 1 leaders OGC Nice as Edinson Cavani’s brace secured an impressive 2-1 win away to Olympique Lyonnais. Nice, who were held to a 1-1 draw at home by SC Bastia earlier in the day, finished the weekend where they started it, on top of the table, but they are now only a single point better off than in-form AS Monaco and Paris. Earlier in the day, AS Saint-Etienne won 2-1 at Angers SCO to rise to eighth.
LA LIGA
Barcelona, Sociedad draw
Barcelona’s winless streak at Real Sociedad stretched to eight games as the Spanish champions were outplayed in a 1-1 draw on Sunday that left them six points adrift of La Liga leaders Real Madrid. Earlier, Atletico Madrid got back to winning ways and moved back into the top four as goals from Diego Godin, Kevin Gameiro and Yannick Carrasco ensured a comfortable 3-0 win at CA Osasuna. Atletico leapfrog Villarreal, who earlier lost 2-0 at home to Deportivo Alaves, into fourth and move back to within nine points of Real Madrid. Granada remain winless and rooted to the bottom after a 3-1 defeat at RC Celta de Vigo.
BUNDESLIGA
Ibisevic scores 100th goal
Veteran forward Vedad Ibisevic on Sunday scored twice, taking his career tally of Bundesliga goals to 100, only to get himself sent off as Hertha BSC beat FSV Mainz 05 2-1 to go third. Schalke 04 continued their recovery from a disastrous start to the season when they beat SV Darmstadt 98 3-1 on an eventful afternoon for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who set up one goal, scored another and missed a penalty. Ibisevic, 32, reached his milestone on his 240th Bundesliga appearance, playing for his fourth club.
SERIE A
Genoa crush Juventus 3-1
Genoa on Sunday blew away Serie A leaders Juventus, getting three goals in a pulsating 3-1 win. AS Roma beat Deflino Pescara 3-2 in the late game, thanks to a flying start by Edin Dzeko. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic tapped in Dusan Basta’s cross to give SS Lazio a 1-0 win at US Citta di Palermo. Andrea Masiello and Jasmin Kurtic scored to give Atalanta BC a 2-0 win at Bologna. Palermo are now level at the bottom with Crotone, who drew 1-1 with UC Sampdoria. Marco Sau scored with a back-heel flick to give Cagliari a 2-1 win over Udinese in the afternoon’s other match.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was