PREMIER LEAGUE
Liverpool’s march continues
Liverpool overcame another obstacle on the path to what looks an almost certain Premier League title as they chalked up a record-breaking 20th win in 21 matches with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. With closest rivals Leicester City suffering a shock 2-1 home defeat against Southampton, Roberto Firmino’s goal sent Juergen Klopp’s side 16 points clear at the top with a game in hand. Manchester United roared back to form with a 4-0 demolition of bottom club Norwich City, while Chelsea maintained their grip on fourth place with a 3-0 defeat of Burnley at Stamford Bridge. Everton won 1-0 at home against Brighton & Hove Albion, Arsenal drew 1-1 against Crystal Palace and Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers drew 1-1.
LIGUE 1
Lyon rally to beat Bordeaux
A fine finish from coveted striker Moussa Dembele and a deflected effort from Maxwell Cornet helped Olympique Lyonnais rally to beat Girondins de Bordeaux 2-1 in Ligue 1 action on Saturday. Dembele’s firm drive in the 53rd minute came after he was set up by Cornet, who equalized three minutes earlier for Lyon. Veteran forward Jimmy Briand put Bordeaux ahead in the 15th minute. The win moved Lyon up to sixth place and Dembele grabbed his 14th goal in 28 games. Elsewhere, Olympique de Marseille defeated Stade Rennais 1-0, Stade de Reims lost to Nimes Olympique 1-0, Montpellier HSC won 2-1 against Amiens SC, Metz bested RC Strasbourg Alsace 1-0, Toulouse went down 5-2 to Dynamo Brest and OGC Nice scraped a 1-1 draw against Angers SCO.
SERIE A
Ibrahimovic scores in win
Veteran star Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored in his first AC Milan start since his return to the club in a 2-0 win over Cagliari on Saturday. The 38-year-old played the entire match, scoring on 64 minutes for his first Milan goal since leaving the club for Paris Saint-Germain eight years ago. “I’ll celebrate like a god at San Siro, not here,” said Ibrahimovic, whose previous scored in the Milan jersey was in May 2012. “I celebrate God every time I score, that way I feel alive!” Ibrahimovic, who did not want to be substituted, said: “I feel good, the coach just wanted to think about my age and see if I needed a rest, but there’s no problem. My brain is always the same and the body has to follow.” Inter’s position on top of Serie A is at risk after a 1-1 draw against Atalanta BC. Lautaro Martinez put Inter ahead after four minutes at the San Siro only for Robin Gosens to pull Atalanta level on 76 minutes. SS Lazio consolidated third position with the only goal in their game against SSC Napoli.
COP DEL REY
Valladolid win in shoot-out
Real Valladolid’s Andriy Lunin on Saturday saved two penalties in a shoot-out after their second-round clash against second-division side Marbella ended 1-1 in regulation time, sending the top-tier side through 5-2 on penalties. Other winners were RCD Mallorca, CA Osasuna, Real Zaragoza, Mirandes, Leganes, Real Betis, Ebro, UD Ibiza, Tenerife, Elche, Badajoz, Athletic Bilbao, second-division side Badalona — who beat top-flight Getafe 2-0 — Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa, Recreativo de Huelva, Girona, UD Logrones, Granada and Villarreal.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and