MILAN: Edin Dzeko struck a brace and Mohamed Salah added a third as clinical Roma dented Napoli’s Serie A title hopes with a superbly-orchestrated 3-1 win at a shocked San Paolo on Saturday.
Napoli were looking to get back to winning ways after a shock defeat at Atalanta two weeks ago left them four points behind leaders and champions Juventus.
But the Azzurri never recovered from Dzeko’s second goal of the game on 54 minutes and heads dropped when Salah beat Pepe Reina four minutes from the end.
Roma moved up to second at two points behind Juventus ahead of the Turin giants’ match at home to Udinese later Saturday.
Napoli drop to third and could be seven points adrift by the end of the day.
Less than a week after seeing Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik sidelined for several months with a cruciate ligament injury, Sarri, as expected, opted for Manolo Gabbiadini as his key striker.
But the up and coming Italian, much like a disappointing Napoli was ineffective and replaced in the second half by Belgian Dries Mertens.
The ‘Derby delo Sole’ started in summer-like conditions and the hosts initially enjoyed a bright start, Lorenzo Insigne sending an early free kick just wide of Wojciech Szczesny’s far post.
But despite showing early promise, Napoli came up short in front of goal and were clumsy in defense.
Dzeko was a concern for Napoli throughout and it took a great sliding tackle from Kalidou Koulibaly on the quarter hour to thwart the Bosnian after he pounced on Radja Nainggolan’s first-time through ball.
Nainggolan sent Salah through on 21 minutes but the Egyptian’s low snap shot curled wide of the upright and when Diego Perotti pounced on Koulibaly’s fluffed clearance moments later the Argentine curled inches wide of Reina’s far post, with the ‘keeper at full stretch.
Roma were relieved when three Napoli shots in succession were blocked in the area, Callejon coming closest only for his shot to come off Kostas Manolas.
The visitors’ defense stood firm again when Insigne turned inside Manolas to set up Marek Hamsik for a drive that came off Federico Fazio.
When Salah sent Dzeko in behind the Napoli defense, an alert Reina rushed out to bravely pluck the ball from his feet.
But the Spanish ‘keeper had no chance in the 43rd minute.
Koulibaly panicked as Salah harried him at the byline, and when he fell on his behind the Egyptian pounced to deliver a cross that, after Nainggolan’s dummy, an unmarked Dzeko swept past Reina.
An unrelenting Salah kept Koulibaly on his toes throughout the second half, but a nervous Sarri was looking for solutions shortly after the restart.
As Mertens warmed up to eventually replace the ineffective Gabbiadini, the Belgian international was cautioned for dissent whil still wearing his yellow bib.
Moments later, Napoli’s woes intensififed, Dzeko holding off Elseid Hysaj at a free kick to head past Reina from the edge of the box on 54 minutes.
Napoli’s title hopes took a direct hit, but three minutes later Koulibaly made amends for his earlier blunder by rising above the Roma defense to meet Ghoulam’s corner with a glancing header that came off Szczesny’s far post before finding the net.
Yet a Napoli fightback looked unlikely, and when Daniele De Rossi sent an unmarked Salah free down the right the Egyptian had time and space to pick his spot before beating Reina down low.
Dzeko hits brace as Roma dents Napoli scudetto hopes
Dzeko hits brace as Roma dents Napoli scudetto hopes
Japan beats Uzbekistan in stoppage time in U23 Asian Cup final
- Substitute Fuki Yamada broke the deadlock in the first minute of stoppage time
AL-RAYYAN, Qatar: Japan left it late to win its second Under-23 Asian Cup after beating Uzbekistan 1-0 in the final on Friday.
Substitute Fuki Yamada broke the deadlock in the first minute of stoppage time at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium and Japan goalkeeper Leo Kokubo saved a penalty to preserve the lead.
Uzbekistan, the 2018 champion, almost took an incredible lead just before halftime. Ruslanbek Jiyanov, just inside the Japanese half, tried to send a long cross into the area but, instead, the flight of the ball deceived Kokubo and bounced off the crossbar.
For the goal, Ryotaro Araki backheeled the ball to Yamada just outside the area, and he fired low into the left corner.
Just five minutes later, Uzbekistan was awarded a penalty after a VAR review when Hiroki Sekine handled in the area. Kokubo made a diving save to his right to push out Umarali Rakhmonaliev’s powerful shot.
Both finalists and third-placed Iran also qualified for Paris Olympics men’s football. Fourth-placed Indonesia has one more chance to make it to a first Olympics since 1956 with a playoff against Guinea next Thursday.
Munoz leads LIV Golf Singapore, Fireballs and Smash share team lead
- Colombian’s 6-under 65 at Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong course gives him a 1-shot advantage over a group of 6 players
SINGAPORE: After suffering a “little low point” a week ago in Australia, Torque GC’s Sebastian Munoz produced his best round of the 2024 season on Friday to take the first-round lead at LIV Golf Singapore.
Munoz’s 6-under 65 at Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong course gives him a one-shot advantage over a group of six players: Smash GC captain Brooks Koepka, Cleeks GC captain Martin Kaymer, Iron Heads GC captain Kevin Na, RangeGoats GC’s Thomas Pieters, HyFlyers GC’s Cameron Tringale and Fireballs GC’s Abraham Ancer.
Another eight players are two shots back, including Munoz’s captain Joaquin Niemann, the current Individual points leader.
The team leaderboard is just as crowded. Fireballs and Smash share the lead at 11 under, with three teams just one shot back: Cleeks, RangeGoats and Stinger GC.
For Munoz, Friday’s round was a welcome relief after his struggles in the first round in Adelaide. He suffered five bogeys, including three straight, in his final 10 holes to shoot a one-over 72. It was his fourth over-par score in five rounds to that point.
“(It) kind of hit me hard,” Munoz recalled. But his Torque teammates gathered together after the round to offer support. “We kind of had a deep talk,” he said. “Just having good, solid teammates can help you a lot.”
Munoz bounced back with two solid rounds to finish up in Adelaide, then fed off that momentum on Friday in Singapore, setting the tone with birdies on two of his first three holes.
Munoz added: “(I’m) really happy where the game is right now and kind of trending.”
Koepka, who was celebrating his 34th birthday on Friday, found his putting stroke that had been mostly absent this season. He opened with five birdies in his first seven holes, and then saved par with a 12-footer after his birdie attempt had rolled off the green. A three-putt on the par-4 16th was his only blemish.
“I thought I putted OK,” Koepka said. “Speed was off, but the ones that I needed to make, I felt like I made.”
Pieters has found his form recently with a tie for ninth in Miami and a tie for 14th in Adelaide. His bogey-free 66, including an eagle at the par-5 18th, was his sixth consecutive sub-par round.
He said: “I’ve been putting a lot of work into it over the last few months. I just had a rough time last year personally, and I finally found the time and the focus to kind of refocus on my game. I’ve been working on every aspect, and it’s kind of showing now.”
Ancer also continued his hot stretch that included his first LIV Golf individual win two months ago in Hong Kong. He suffered an early bogey, but then found his rhythm the rest of the way, including a stretch of three consecutive birdies to finish up his first nine holes.
After finishing 47th out of 48 players in Singapore last year, Ancer was happy with the strong start to this week.
He said: “I was not in the same spot with my swing last year. (I was) not playing confident at the time. I feel a lot better today. Big difference.”
Kaymer was coming off his best LIV round, an 8-under 64 on Sunday in Adelaide, and continued to show positive signs with his 66. Na, like Munoz, played well in the last two rounds in Adelaide after a tough start and was bogey-free for his first 15 holes on Friday.
Standings and counting scores for Friday’s opening round of the team competition at LIV Golf Singapore. The three best scores from each team count in the first two rounds while all four scores count in the final round. The team with the lowest cumulative score after three rounds wins the team title.
T1. FIREBALLS GC -11 (Ancer 66, Chacarra 67, Garcia 69)
T1. SMASH GC -11 (Koepka 66, Gooch 68, McDowell 68)
T3. RANGEGOATS GC -10 (Pieters 66, Wolff 68, Uihlein 69)
T3. CLEEKS GC -10 (Kaymer 66, Meronk 67, Bland 70)
T3. STINGER GC -10 (Burmester 67, Oosthuizen 67, Grace 69)
6. TORQUE GC -9 (Muñoz 65, Niemann 67, Ortiz 72)
T7. RIPPER GC -8 (Herbert 67, Leishman 67, Smith 71)
T7. LEGION XIII -8 (Hatton 68, Vincent 68, Rahm 69)
9. HYFLYERS GC -7 (Tringale 66, Steele 68, Mickelson 72)
10. IRON HEADS GC -5 (Na 66, Vincent 70, Lee 72)
11. 4ACES GC -4 (Johnson 67, Reed 71, Varner III 71)
T12. CRUSHERS GC -1 (Casey 69, Lahiri 70, DeChambeau 73)
T12. MAJESTICKS GC -1 (Poulter 70, Horsfield 71, Westwood 71)
Luton gains valuable point from home draw with Everton
- Luton remained third to last
LUTON, England: Luton got a valuable point in its fight to avoid relegation after a hard-fought 1-1 draw with visiting Everton in the English Premier League on Friday.
Luton remained third to last, below 17th-placed Nottingham Forest only on goal difference. Luton has two games left. Everton has already guaranteed its survival.
Everton took the initiative when Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored from the penalty spot after 24 minutes.
A video review ruled Teden Mengi held Jarrad Branthwaite, and Calvert-Lewin notched his fourth goal in his last five appearances.
Luton bounced back quickly thanks to Elijan Adebayo. The striker scored five in five games before he was injured in February, and almost three months out did not seem to have affected his eye for goal. In his first start since returning, Adebayo collected his 10th goal of the season.
Luton substitute Andros Townsend saw his shot blocked on the line in the dying seconds.
Mitchell Starc shows class as Kolkata Knight Riders notch IPL win in Mumbai
- Kolkata's first win at the Wankhede ground in 12 years and seventh from 10 games this season
MUMBAI: Mitchell Starc picked up four wickets as a disciplined bowling performance helped Kolkata Knight Riders seal a 24-run victory over Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League on Friday.
Chasing a below-par 170, Mumbai lost wickets at regular intervals to be bowled out for 145 off 18.5 overs at the Wankhede Stadium.
Suryakumar Yadav raised hopes with a 35-ball 56 but his dismissal in the 16th over tilted the scales in favour of Kolkata.
This was Kolkata's first win at the Wankhede ground in 12 years and seventh from 10 games this season.
Mumbai slumped to ninth position in the 10-team competition after their eighth loss in 11 games.
Kolkata are placed second and well poised to make it to the play-offs.
"Obviously we couldn't form partnerships and kept losing wickets," said Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya.
"There are a lot of questions that will take time to answer. But for now, not much to say."
Mumbai were off to a shaky start, with Starc flattening the leg-stump of Ishan Kishan (13) and Varun Chakravarthy sending back Naman Dhir (11).
The home team got another big jolt when Rohit Sharma, who came in as an impact sub, miscued a shot to be caught off Sunil Narine for 11.
Pandya's poor run of form continued as he was out for one, much to the disappointment of the strong home crowd.
Yadav hit his third half-century of the season and Tim David chipped in with 24 but Kolkata did well to rein in the five-time champions.
Earlier, Kolkata lost five quick wickets including that of the prolific Phil Salt (five) and skipper Shreyas Iyer (six) after being put in to bat.
Tottering at 57-5, Venkatesh Iyer (70) and impact sub Manish Pandey (42) steadied Kolkata with an 83-run stand and ensured a respectable total on the board.
Iyer, who hit a century at the same ground last season, hit three sixes and six fours in his fighting 52-ball knock.
"It's an extremely good feeling, because we haven't won at Wankhede for 12 years," said Kolkata's Varun Chakravarthy.
"This is a very special win because we were down and out in the first innings. The way Venkatesh and Manish pulled it back was great."
Jasprit Bumrah and Sri Lanka's Nuwan Thushara were the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets each and troubling the batsmen with their line and length on a lively wicket.
Saudi table tennis players ‘happy’ to compete against world’s best
- Fast-rising stars speak ahead of Saudi Smash 2024, the Kingdom’s first professional table tennis event
- Competition will feature a 64-player men’s and women’s singles main draw alongside a 24-pair main draw for men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s table tennis stars of the future, Abdulaziz Bu Shulaybi and Ali Alkhadrawi, have voiced their appreciation after being given a platform to showcase their talent and compete against the best in the world.
The two spoke on Friday at a press conference ahead of Saudi Smash 2024, the Kingdom’s first professional table tennis event.
Hassan Hayyan, a board member of the Saudi Table Tennis Federation, and head of the competitions and referees committee, attended the conference along with Bu Shulaybi and Alkhadrawi.
Bu Shulaybi said: “It’s a great feeling that a major table tennis event is happening in Saudi Arabia. I have been to many tournaments around the world, but this one really has impressed me — the level of organization is unbelievable, and thanks must go to everyone who has worked hard to make it happen.
“With 20 of the greatest players in the world all involved, going head-to-head with them is an opportunity to compete with the best, learn from them, and ultimately improve.”
Alkhadrawi said: “It’s a dream for any Saudi player to play this tournament. We were very happy to be chosen for this opportunity and to compete against very high-level players.”
“We have received great support,” he said. “We’re very lucky to have the Saudi Table Tennis Federation supporting us.”
He had inspirational words of encouragement for the Kingdom’s emerging talent.
“My message to the next generation of professional Saudi players is that the possibilities are endless. So long as they are disciplined, dedicated, and listen to their coaches, the opportunity and potential are there to reach new heights and make it far in this sport.”
Hayyan said: “Hosting such a major international table tennis event is a testament to the unwavering support we’ve received from the Kingdom’s leadership.”
He said that Saudi Smash “represents the latest chapter in Saudi Arabia’s sports evolution, and we’re sure it will be remembered for many years to come.”
Following three days of qualifying matches from Wednesday to Friday, the main competitions get underway on Saturday, with eight days of world-class table tennis action in store for spectators.
The event consists of a 64-player men’s and women’s singles main draw alongside a 24-pair main draw for men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles.
A series of thrilling showdowns are locked in across each competition after Thursday’s draw, with some of Saudi Arabia’s fastest-rising table tennis stars in action.
