Barca hit top gear, run over Alaves

Barcelona, December 21

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Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann were all on target in a convincing 4-1 home win over Alaves today to reach a combined 30 goals this season and ensure the champions will finish 2019 top of La Liga.

Griezmann put Barca ahead in the 14th minute with a wonderful first-time strike into the bottom corner from a Suarez cut-back and Arturo Vidal also knocked home a pass from the Uruguayan to round off a dominant first-half display.

Alaves midfielder Pere Pons pulled a goal back in the 56th minute with a diving header, but Messi magnificent curled strike from outside the box restored Barca’s two-goal cushion in the 69th and Suarez finally got on the scoresheet by converting from the penalty spot in the 75th. Barca lead the standings on 39 points from 18 games, three clear of second-placed Real Madrid who host Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Sevilla are third on 34 after winning 2-0 at Real Mallorca.

No spark in Arsenal vs Everton

Liverpool: Everton were held to a 0-0 home draw by Arsenal today in a dull Premier League clash, which took a back seat to both clubs naming new managers in a bid to revive their fortunes.

Carlo Ancelotti, named as the new Everton manager barely an hour before the kick-off, got a first glimpse of the Toffees from the directors’ box as did Arsenal’s new head coach Mikel Arteta who was appointed by the Gunners on Friday. A battle of outgoing caretakers — Everton’s Duncan Ferguson and Arsenal’s Freddie Ljungberg — failed to produce any fireworks with Everton having the upper hand in a tepid first-half in an otherwise lacklustre game.

Not too late for Bayern

Berlin: Bayern Munich’s Joshua Zirkzee and Serge Gnabry scored late goals to give them a 2-0 win over VfL Wolfsburg at the start of the winter break today as RB Leipzig went top of the table with a comeback win over Augsburg. Dutch teenager Zirkzee, who also scored in stoppage time in their 3-1 midweek win over Freiburg, enjoyed a dream week, scoring with his first touch of the ball in the 85th minute.

Yesterday, Sergis Adamyan and Andrej Kramaric scored late goals as Hoffenheim fought back for a 2-1 win to stop Borussia Dortmund from moving within a point of Bundesliga leaders RB Leipzig on Friday.

Adamyan and Kramaric responded following the break after Mario Goetze, who was making his first start in over a month, opened the scoring in the first-half.

Dortmund remain in fourth, four points behind Leipzig and second-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach. Dortmund remain in fourth, four points behind Leipzig.

Roma close in on CL spot

Milan: Aleksandar Kolarov scored a magnificent free-kick as Roma bolstered their Champions League credentials in Italy with a 4-1 victory away to Fiorentina on Friday.

Edin Dzeko’s put Roma ahead on 19 minutes in Florence. Kolarov then curled in a terrific 20-yard strike to double Roma’s lead before Milan Badelj pulled one back just past the half hour. Roma have lost just once in Serie A since late September. — AFP

No sabbatical, Pochettino ready to make a return

DOHA: Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino says he is ready to return to management quickly, showing no interest in an extended break from the game. The Argentine, who led Spurs to the Champions League final last season and remains one of the most sought-after coaches in the game, was sacked by the north London club last month and replaced by Jose Mourinho. Yet talking in an interview of his “love” for Tottenham, he did not rule out a return to Spurs at some stage in his career and said there was no club that he would not talk to — even Arsenal. In his first comments to journalists since his exit from Spurs, Pochettino said that after spending time with his parents and family in Argentina he is now getting prepared for whatever his next challenge will be. “After five and a half years in Tottenham it is a weird time for us but at the same time very relaxed, very happy when you look backwards and of course obviously in life you need to move on,” he said. reuters