THE PENINSULA/AFC – KUALA LUMPUR

The Asian Football Confederation yesterday revealed the 'Dream Team' from the 2018 AFC Cham-pions League, selected by fans.

The list, revealed on https://www.the-afc.com yesterday, includes four Al Sadd players, namely Baghdad Bounedjah, Pedro Miguel, Abdelkarim Hassan and Barca legend Xavi.

Over 250,000 votes have been cast to select the Dream Team and the final line-up features a host of standout performers from the competition.

The 2018 AFC Champions League was filled with classic matches, nail-biting moments and fabulous individual performances and, after reviewing the competi-tion’s key players, we present the ‘Dream Team’ as voted by the fans.

Eleven players who made the cut on the public polls on the-AFC.com, while an XI by OPTA, the

official statistics provider for the AFC, is also included as a comparison.

Collecting a huge 89% of the votes, the popular Persepolis cus-todian and 2018 runner-up was out in front by some distance, with Kashima Antlers’ three-time AFC Champions League winner Kwoun Sun-tae (10%) coming second.

Esteghlal’s attacking full-back Khosro Heydari (92%) was way out in front ahead of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Lee Yong (4%), Kashima Antlers’ Koki Anzai (3%) and Guangzhou Evergrande’s Zhang Linpeng (2%).

Al Sadd’s centre-back Miguel clinched the fans’ vote for centre-back and he partners Persepolis’ defender Shojae Khalilzadeh in our rearguard.

Khalilzadeh edged out his club captain Jalal Hosseini, while Gen Shoji of Kashima Antlers, Tianjin’s Kwon Kyung-won and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors’ Choi Bo-kyung were also in the running.

Hassan’s performances in Al Sadd’s 2018 campaign were so impressive that they helped him win the AFC Player of the Year award at the end of the campaign and the fans have reflected this too, naming the Qatari star as the left-back in our XI.

His 45% share of the vote saw him hold off Kim Jin-su of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (26%), Shuto Yamamoto of Kashma Antlers (19%) and Guangzhou Evergrande’s Li Xuepeng (9%).

Siamak Nemati more than played his part in what was Persepolis’ best AFC Champions League per-formance to date and the fans have rewarded him with a whopping 68% of the votes.

Nemati takes the right side of our three-man midfield with coun-tryman Farshid Esmaeili and Xavi, who received the second and third most votes respectively, taking up the other two spots.

There were plenty of super strikers to choose from to lead our frontline but, ultimately, it was Persepolis targetman Ali Alipour who came out on top ahead of Mame Thiam of Persepolis’ fierce rivals Esteghlal.

Al Sadd’s Bounedjah, who was the tournament’s top scorer, rounds out our three-man attack in this exciting-looking all-star team from the 16th edition of the AFC Champions League.

Al Sadd players, Baghdad Bounedjah, Pedro

Miguel, Abdelkarim Hassan and Barca legend

Xavi make it to the final XI following an

online poll conducted by the Asian Football

Confederation.

Baghdad Bounedjah

Xavi Hernandez

Pedro Miguel

SPORT | 18

England's

Stokes to miss

rest of Pakistan

Test series

SPORTEuropa League:

United, Inter

favourites in

unique quarters

SPORT | 19

MONDAY 10 AUGUST 2020

Verstappen ends Mercedes’ winning runRed Bull driver storms to 70th Anniversary Grand Prix win at Silverstone

REUTERS – SILVERSTONE

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won Formula One’s 70th Anni-versary Grand Prix at Silver-stone yesterday to end Mercedes’ run and become Lewis Hamilton’s closest chal-lenger.

In a race dominated by tyres and strategy, Hamilton swept past Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas to take second place late in the race and stay 30 points clear in the standings.

Six times world champion Hamilton, who gained an extra point for fastest lap, also equalled Ferrari great Michael Schumacher’s record of 155 career podium finishes.

“I didn’t see it coming, but after the first stint it seemed like we were really good on tyres,” said Verstappen as he cele-brated his ninth win that left him with 77 points to Hamil-ton’s 107.

“Of course there was a question mark how Mercedes were going to go on the hard tyre. We had a lot of pace in the car and I didn’t really have a lot of tyre issues at all. We just kept pushing.”

Bottas dropped to third overall on 73 points after starting on pole position in a race again run without spec-tators due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As a team we were sleeping at some point when Max managed to get ahead of us and my strategy was far, far from ideal. Lots to learn from today, I think,” said the Finn.

Mercedes had won the four previous races, and taken every

pole, but Verstappen was alone among the top 10 on the grid to start on the hard tyres and it paid off.

The champions were mindful that Hamilton and Bottas had both suffered late blowouts at the previous week-end’s British Grand Prix at Sil-verstone, when Hamilton won on three wheels, in trying to eke

out a one-stopper. Pirelli had brought softer tyres this time, forcing a change of strategy, and Mercedes were ill at ease in a fast-changing two-stop race.

Red Bull piled on the pressure, forcing Hamilton into a second pitstop with 11 laps to go when he was leading and looked like he might be

considering a one-stopper on heavily blistered tyres.

“We haven’t really had an opportunity in all the races so far to push them and I could see we were pushing them. I tried to put the pressure on, they had to pit, I did my own pace,” said Verstappen.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fourth, ahead of Red Bull’s

Alexander Albon and the Racing Points of Lance Stroll and stand-in Nico Hulkenberg.

Renault’s Esteban Ocon was eighth with McLaren’s Lando Norris ninth and Russian Daniil Kvyat taking the final point for AlphaTauri.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen winning the Formula One 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at the Silverstone Circuit, yesterday.

ing a one-stopper on listered tyres.haven’t really had an

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F1: 70TH ANNIVERSARY GRAND PRIX

RESULTS (TOP 10)

1. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull-

Honda) 1 h 19:41.993, 2. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/

Mercedes) at 11.326, 3. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes)

19.231, 4. Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 29.289, 5. Alexander Albon

(THA/Red Bull-Honda) 39.146, 6. Lance Stroll (CAN/Racing Point-Mercedes) 42.538,

7. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Racing Point-Mercedes) 55.951, 8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Renault) 1:04.773, 9. Lando Norris (GBR/

McLaren-Renault) 1:05.b544, 10. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/AlphaTauri-Honda) 1:09.669

Max Verstappen celebrates on the podium.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen celebrates with team-mates.

Four Al Sadd players in ACL2018 ‘Dream Team’

Abdelkarim Hassan

18 MONDAY 10 AUGUST 2020SPORT

Stokes to miss rest of Pakistan Test seriesAFP — MANCHESTER

England star Ben Stokes (pictured) will miss the concluding two Tests against Pakistan for family reasons, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced yesterday.

Stokes’s father Ged was admitted to hospital in Johan-nesburg two days before Christmas last year with a serious illness while following his son’s progress with the England cricket team during their tour of South Africa.

Ged Stokes, a former New Zealand rugby league international, underwent three operations and spent 37 days in hospital, with his conditions ini-tially described as “critical” b e f o r e i t stabilised.

He has since continued his recovery in New Zealand.

Despite his father’s health problems, Stokes was named player of the series in Eng-land’s 3-1 Test series win over South Africa.

Stokes , h o w e v e r , spent time at Ged’s beside when England returned to Johannesburg for the fourth Test at the Wanderers.

He later posted a picture of his father

leaving hospital, praising him as “strong and stubborn”. “Stokes will leave the UK later this week and travel to New Zealand,” said an ECB statement issued yesterday.

“He will miss England’s two Test matches against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl (starting) on Thursday 13 August and Friday 21 August.

“The England and Wales Cricket Board, along with the

Stokes family, requests

that all media respects the fam-ily’s privacy at this time.” Out-standing all-rounder Stokes played in the England side that beat Pakistan by three wickets at Old Trafford on Saturday to go 1-0 up in three-match series.

The England vice-captain has been an ever present in the side this season and led the team in Joe Root’s absence during the series opener against the West Indies last month -- a match regular skipper Root missed to attend the birth of his second child.

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Island of New Zealand, Stokes came to England as a 12-year-old when his father Ged got a job coaching the Work-

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Cockermouth.Ged and his

wife Deb, Stokes’s mother, have since

returned to New Zealand.

After impressing in youth cricket, Ben Stokes,

now aged 29, made his name in the first-class game with Durham.

At international level, he established himself as a leading all-rounder, starring against his native New Zealand during England’s dramatic Super Over win in last year’s World Cup final at Lord’s.

A quad injury has seen paceman Stokes largely deployed as a specialist batsman in recent matches.

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Legend Akram disappointed with Azhar’s captaincyREUTERS — MANCHESTER

Pakistan captain Azhar Ali “missed a trick” several times in the opening Test against England and their three-wicket loss will hurt the team and their fans, according to bowling great Wasim Akram (pictured above).

Ali and his men held the upper hand for most part of the series opener and had England, chasing 277 for victory, reeling at 117-5 at Old Trafford before England fought back.

Jos Buttler (75) and Chris Woakes (84 not out) forged a 139-run stand to help the hosts go 1-0 up in the three-Test series.

“It will hurt the Pakistan team and the cricket lovers in Pakistan,” former captain Akram told Sky Sports.

“Winning and losing is part of cricket, but I think our captain missed a trick quite a few times in this game, as far as his leadership is concerned.”

Akram was surprised how Pakistan, who had bowled out England for 219 in the first innings, did not try to bounce out Woakes early.

“When Woakes came in, there were no bouncers, no short deliveries, they let him settle down and runs were coming easy,” said the 54-year-old Akram.

“Once the partnership got going, nothing happened - the turn didn’t happen, swing didn’t happen - and Buttler and Woakes just took the game away.”

Akram also felt Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi, who collectively sent down 28.1 overs in the second innings, were under-bowled.

“Pakistan cricket is all about flair, unpredictability and attacking cricket. We’re not county bowlers who are just going to come and bowl line and length all day long.

“We’ve got a 17-year-old (Naseem), who bowls 90mph, a 20-year-old (Shaheen Afridi), who is around 88mph, and they should be bowling a lot more overs - 18-20 overs each innings, no matter the situation.”

Dustin Johnson in action during

the third round on Saturday.

Johnson and Koepka set for another PGA final showdownAFP — SAN FRANCISCO

Dustin Johnson shot a 65 on Saturday to put himself on course for another mouth-watering final round showdown at a PGA Championship with two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka.

Johnson and Koepka are no strangers at the PGA Cham-pionship as Johnson nearly chased down Koepka in the final round last year at New York’s Bethpage Black before losing by two shots.

“I’ve been in the hunt a bunch of times in a major. I’ve got one major, so having that experience is definitely going to be beneficial tomorrow,” said 2016 US Open champion Johnson.

Johnson’s five-under 65 on Saturday got him to nine under for the tournament and a one-shot lead over fellow Amer-icans Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Champ at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.

History-chasing American Koepka is tied for fourth with two others, just two strokes back of the long-hitting Johnson.

“I’ve been in contention a lot, and I’ve got it done a lot of times,” said the 36-year-old Johnson.

“I’ve got to hit fairways and a lot of greens. If I can do that tomorrow, I’m going to have a good chance coming down the stretch on the back nine.”

Like rugged Bethpage Black, TPC Harding Park is a municipal layout that is playing like a major championship course with narrow fairways and deep, patchy rough that swallows errant tee shots.

Johnson’s 65 was his eighth straight round in the 60s at a PGA Championship. His eight birdies are the most he has made in any round of a major, bettering the seven birdies he made at the 2017 PGA Championship and the 2014 British Open. But his results have been mixed in 2020 as he missed the cut at the Memorial, withdrew from the 3M Open with a bad back after an opening 78 and finished 12th at the WGC event in Memphis.

Johnson said the key to winning his second career major is to stay focused and not worry about the leaderboard.

“I’m going to just try and go out and shoot as low as I can tomorrow,” he said.

Root hails England’s mental strength after ‘brilliant chase’

REUTERS — MANCHESTER

England looked all but beaten when they stumbled to 117-5 in their pursuit of a 277-run target set by Pakistan at Old Trafford but captain Joe Root felt confident about his team’s battling qualities.

“We knew it would take something special but after last summer it is very hard to stop believing. It’s a real strong trait of ours,” he said.

Almost a year on from Ben Stokes’ heroic batting display to stun Australia in the 2019 Ashes at Headingley, Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes combined to deliver a counter-attacking display in a 139-run sixth-wicket stand.

Buttler (75) was trapped

leg-before with 21 runs still required and the second new ball due, but Woakes (84) stuck it out, edging the winning boundary down to third man to seal a famous victory.

“It was a brilliant chase. I couldn’t be more proud of the lads,” Root said.

“Jos, it shows the mental strength, to play that situation

and manage different passages of it, calculating risks, manip-ulating the spinner, brilliant innings, and Chris was magnif-icent too.

“The more important thing is we back it up again, and keep learning, but the clarity with which they played shows the maturity of the group too,” he said.

With England losing four quick wickets after lunch, Woakes and Buttler had no choice but to reel in the target in one-day mode.

“It was good idea to take them on and put them under pressure,” Woakes said.

“He is one of the best white-ball players in the world - one of best run-chasers - and he showed why today.”

We knew it would take

something special but after

last summer it is very hard

to stop believing. It’s a real

strong trait of ours: England

Test captain Joe Root

Serena ready to play after long break

AP — LEXINGTON

Serena Williams flexed and then kissed a sinewy right bicep to show down time well spent in training even without bench pressing.

“This is God given, thank you very much,” the 23-time Grand Slam champion said as she thanked her mother, Oracene.

Williams now looks to flex her muscles on a tennis court for the first time in six months.

She is preparing for the inaugural Top Seed Open that opens today near Lex-ington, a recently added hard court tournament that serves as a tuneup for this month’s US Open in New York.

The WTA’s first event

in the US since March features a spectator-free field that includes sister Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam winner herself, Victoria Aza-renka, Sloane Stephens and rising star Coco Gauff.

Serena Williams, ranked No. 9, is competing for the first time since playing for the US in the Fed Cup in February.

The pandemic quickly shut everything down the next month, forcing an extended lay-off.

Williams has a history of blood clots and pulmonary embolisms that have affected her lung capacity. She has been

“super, super careful” in avoiding exposure to COVID-19. The 38-year-old acknowledged during Satur-day’s virtual news conference that she’s been “a bit of a recluse,” in addition to owning 50 face masks and taking social distancing to an extreme.

“And everyone in the Serena bubble is really pro-tective because at the end of the day, yeah, it’s cool to play tennis, but this is my life and this is my health,” Williams said.

“I’ve been a little neurotic to an extent, but that’s just what I have to be right now.”

Serena Williams

World No.2 Halep to decide on US Open after WTA eventREUTERS — LONDON

World number two Simona Halep (pictured) will take the final decision on her partici-pation in the US Open after playing this week’s WTA Tour event in Prague, the Romanian said yesterday.

Women’s world number one Ashleigh Barty has opted against travelling to New York to play the hardcourt Grand Slam amid the COVID-19 pan-demic, making the 28-year-old Halep the top draw at this year’s event.

“I will decide after this tour-nament for sure,” Halep said, adding that the conditions are “tough” in the US.

“I need to get a feeling, I need to see what changes they (the US Open organisers) are gonna make with travelling and stuff.

“And then I will be able to decide, take the final decision.”

Besides Barty, the women’s draw has also lost other top-10 players in No.5 Elina S v i t o l i n a and

seventh-ranked Kiki Bertens due to their concerns about the pandemic.

The United States has over 5 million cases of COVID-19 and almost 162,000 people have died, according to a Reuters tally. Concerns remain whether players would face mandatory quarantine if they travel to Europe from the US for clay-court events in September.

Organisers USTA are cre-ating a bio-secure ‘bubble’ in N e w York with

tough

protocols to hold the tour-nament from Aug. 31 without spectators.

“I know it’s very strict, it’s a little bit stressful in my opinion,” Halep said from Prague.

“But they need those rules for the security, the health is most important, they have to take care of everyone. It’s tough for everybody to travel these days. But everyone can take their own decision and they know their priority.

“My priority is my health, the mental part and I don’t want to stress myself for anything. My final decision, when I take it, will be based on these.”

Halep is the top seed at the Prague Open where she will face Slovenia’s Polona Hercog in the opening round.

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to come back,” Halep said, adding that she was

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19MONDAY 10 AUGUST 2020 SPORT

Europa League: United, Inter favourites in unique quartersAFP – PARIS

Manchester United, Inter Milan and Sevilla headline a quintet of former champions travelling to Germany for a remodelled eight-team straight knockout tour-nament that will crown the winner of a Europa League campaign heavily disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

All games from the quarter-finals onwards in this season’s competition will be played behind closed doors as one-off ties across four venues -- Cologne, Duisburg, Dusseldorf and Gelsenkirchen -- following a five-month interruption.

While a Champions League berth still awaits the victor of the final in Cologne on August 21, much has changed since the COVID-19 outbreak that brought European football to a standstill in March.

“There are rules and regula-tions on the bubble that’s going to travel. We’ve got to stick together, stay together in and around the hotel and the training ground,” United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said of the strict health protocols clubs must respect.

Players and staff will undergo virus testing before departing for Germany and again on the eve of a match once arriving, a process repeated for each sub-sequent game in the final tournament.

UEFA has advised teams to travel on charter flights and min-imise contact with the general public, strongly recommending

the use of exclusive hotels -- to which players will largely be con-fined -- in order to avoid potential cross-contamination.

Masks will not be required for substitutes and coaching staff but they must maintain social dis-tancing when seated, with players instructed to limit contact as much as possible when warming up. Match balls will be disinfected before kick-off and at half-time.

United, the 2017 winners, face FC Copenhagen in Monday’s quarter-final in Cologne while Serie A runners-up Inter take on Bayer Leverkusen in a clash of former UEFA Cup champions at Dusseldorf Arena.

England forward Jesse Lingard, who played in United’s 2-0 win over Ajax in the final three years ago, is confident the team can capture the title for a second time.

Should United advance to the last four they would face either Sevilla -- who have won the Europa League and its precursor, the UEFA Cup, a record five times -- or Premier League rivals Wolves in Cologne on August 16.

Wolves are through to a first European quarter-final since 1972 but were punished by UEFA in midweek after failing to comply with Financial Fair Play requirements. They take on Sevilla in Duisburg tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Inter beat Getafe 2-0 in a single-leg last-16 tie Wednesday in Gelsenkirchen, and Antonio Conte’s men harbour hopes of adding to the three UEFA Cups won in the 1990s.

Ukrainian champions Sha-khtar Donetsk, winners of the 2009 edition, play Swiss outfit Basel in the other quarter-final in Gelsenkirchen.

This year’s Europa League final was initially due to be played in the Polish city of Gdansk in late May before the health crisis forced a change of plans.

Gdansk will host next year’s final instead.

Former Real chief expectsclub to send Bale out on loanREUTERS – MADRID

Real Madrid may consider sending Welsh forward Gareth Bale (pictured) out on loan and pay part of his salary to end the agony for both the player and the club amid their rift, the Spanish team’s former president Ramon Calderon said.

The 31-year-old Bale has barely featured for Real in their run to the La Liga title when the campaign resumed after the COVID-19 stoppage and was subdued during their celebrations.

Real manager Zinedine Zidane said that Bale, who reportedly earns 600,000

pounds ($782,460) a week, chose not to travel to their Champions League game against Manchester City on Friday because he did not want to play.

“It’s very sad. It’s a pity to see a player like him in the stands... his skill

and talent has not gone, he’s still a good player who could be playing at a high level in any team,” Cal-deron told the BBC.

Despite winning four Cham-pions League titles with Real,

Bale divides opinion because of a perceived lack of commitment

and a poor injury record. He seemed set for a

move to Chinese club Jiangsu Suning last year before the deal fell through.

Willian ends Chelsea stayAFP – LONDON

Willian says he is leaving Chelsea with “his head held high” ending a seven year spell with the Premier League club he told fans in an open letter yesterday.

The 32-year-old Brazil winger has been linked with a move to Arsenal after he failed to agree a new contract with the Blues.

Willian rejected Tot-tenham Hotspur to join Chelsea from Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala for £30m ($39m) in 2013.

He scored 63 goals in 339 appearances and

won five trophies, two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, a League Cup and the Europa League.

However, an ankle injury prevented him playing in the FA Cup final loss to Arsenal and Saturday’s Champions League last 16 second leg thumping by Bayern Munich.

“I will miss all the staff at the club who’ve always treated me like a son and I will miss the fans. I leave with my head held high, safe in the knowledge that I won things here and always did my best in a Chelsea shirt.”

Juventus bet on Pirlo becoming new Zidane, GuardiolaAFP – MILAN

A first coaching job and already high expectations, Andrea Pirlo’s arrival at Juventus has sparked hopes in Italy that he can follow footballing greats Zinedine Zidane and Pep Guar-diola’s managerial success.

The 41-year-old former Italy and Juventus star was promoted to the top job in Turin just a week after having being appointed coach of their U23 side.

“Andrea Pirlo is starting a path that maybe one day will lead him to the top of the first team,” club president Andrea Agnelli said on July 31.

A week later, Pirlo has already taken over from Mau-rizio Sarri after the reigning nine-time Italian champions crashed out of the Champions League in the last 16.

“A team is made up of dynamics, interpersonal rela-tionships, expressions,” said Agnelli on Pirlo’s arrival at the club.

And Pirlo speaks the lan-guage of players, with four league titles won at Juventus between 2011 and 2015, before ending his playing career in November 2017 after three seasons in MLS.

“Even during the years away from the club, I kept the rela-tionships,” said Brescia-native Pirlo.

“It was normal for me to live in Turin and it feels normal to return to work here.

“I prefer to be invested with a great responsibility, it makes me feel alive,” he explained, adding his ambition was “to repeat the career I achieved as a player”.

Contemporaries Zidane and Guardiola both achieved that feat with with Real Madrid and Barcelona.

But Zidane -- who famously lost the 2006 World Cup final to Pirlo’s Italy -- spent two years with Real Madrid’s B team, and Guardiola the second-tier Bar-celona side, before stepping up and winning the Champions League with the first teams.

“Guardiola and Zidane? Everyone would like to have their same journey,” said Pirlo, “but you need to earn it by gaining experience.” Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso believes that it will be a steep climb for his former Italy and AC Milan team-mate.

“Blessed is he who started immediately at Juventus, I say so because this is a difficult job, it is not enough to have a great career as a footballer behind him,” said Gattuso after Napoli were eliminated from the Champions League against Barcelona.

“We have to study and work, we sleep little. I wish him a very big good luck.” - ‘Predes-tined’ - Pirlo’s appointment is however seen as a natural one for Juventus whose global brand was boosted after Cristiano Ronaldo’s €100m ($115m) signing in 2018.

A sauve fashion and wine lover, Pirlo is seen as a more natural fit for the club’s ambi-tions to build a globally cool life-style brand to attract untapped markets in North America and Asia.

“It was a very Juventus decision, very natural, we think he could be predestined, he was as a player he can become as a coach,” said chief football officer Fabio Paratici.

But winning Serie A is not enough as his predecessors Massimiliano Allegri and Sarri found.

And how Pirlo can help Juventus achieve their biggest dream of a first Champions League title since 1996 remains to be seen.

Former Juventus coach Fabio Capello believes Pirlo “has very advanced ideas about football”.

“He is a midfielder on and off the pitch, he watches and studies everything. He has had very important coaches, so he lacks nothing to do well,” said Capello.

Juventus conceded 43 goals in Serie A, their highest total in nearly a decade, with Ronaldo’s 37 goals carrying the team both at home and in Europe.

Rookie Binder claims shock Czech GP winREUTERS – BRNO

KTM rider Brad Binder claimed his maiden MotoGP victory at the Czech Republic Grand Prix in Brno yesterday, while cham-pionship leader Fabio Quartararo finished a disappointing seventh.

With nine laps remaining, South African rookie Binder overhauled early leader Franco Morbidelli of Petronas Yamaha before holding his nerve to seal victory in only his third start in the premier class.

The result also represents a first MotoGP win for KTM since making its full-time debut in 2017.

“Right now I’m lost for words,” Binder said. “This was a dream I had when I was little kid. Thanks to everyone for sup-porting me.

“Hats off to my team, they did an unbe-lievable job. Hopefully it’s a first of many.” Morbidelli clung onto second position for his first MotoGP podium, while pole sitter Johann Zarco finished third after a sloppy start on his Avintia Ducati.

“I’m overwhelmed right now and just enjoying the moment,” Morbidelli said. “I saw Brad catching me but I decided not to do anything silly. Now we go to Austria with great joy.” Zarco expertly held on to podium finish despite being forced to take a long lap penalty after his involvement in a collision that eliminated KTM’s Pol Espargaro.

Quartararo, who won the opening two races of the season in Jerez, struggled for grip on his Petronas Yamaha to cross the line in seventh place.

In a frustrating day for Ducati’s factory team, Andrea Dovizioso finished over 16 seconds off the winning pace in 11th, one place ahead of team mate Danilo Petrucci.

In the absence of world champion Marc Marquez, team mate and younger brother

Alex took the last point for Repsol Honda with a 15th-placed finish.

Valentino Rossi came fifth on his Yamaha, while team mate Maverick Vinales’s 14th-placed finish meant no Spaniard made it to the MotoGP podium for the first time since the British Grand Prix in 2015.

Vinales’ disappointing afternoon ensured Quarataro extended his championship lead to 17 points, while Morbidelli moved up to third.

CZECH GRAND PRIX RESULTS1. Brad Binder (RSA/KTM) 41min 38.764sec, 2. Franco Morbidelli (ITA/Yamaha-SRT) at 5.266sec, 3. Johann Zarco (FRA/Ducati-Avintia) 6.470, 4. Alex Rins (ESP/Suzuki) 6.609, 5. Valentino Rossi (ITA/Yamaha) 7.517, 6. Miguel Oliveira (POR/KTM-Tech3) 7.969, 7. Fabio Quartararo (FRA/Yamaha-SRT) 11.827, 8. Takaaki Nakagami (JPN/Honda-LCR) 12.862,9. Jack Miller (AUS/Ducati-Pramac) 15.013, 10. Aleix Espargaro (ESP/Aprilia) 15.087

MOTOGP CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (After 3 races)1. Fabio Quartararo (FRA) 59 points, 2. Maverick Vinales (ESP) 42, 3. Franco Morbidelli (ITA) 31, 4. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) 31, 5. Brad Binder (RSA) 28, 6. Johann Zarco (FRA) 28, 7. Valentino Rossi (ITA) 27, 8.

Takaaki Nakagami (JPN) 27, 9. Jack Miller (AUS) 20, 10. Alex Rins (ESP) 19, 11. Pol Espargaro (ESP) 19, 12. Miguel Oliveira (POR) 18, 13. Alex Marquez (ESP)

13, 14. Joan Mir (ESP) 11, 15. Danilo Petrucci (ITA) 11, 16. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) 9, 17. Tito Rabat (ESP) 7, 18. Aleix Espargaro (ESP) 6, 19. Cal Crutchlow (GBR) 6, 20. Bradley Smith (GBR) 5

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Petronas Yamaha SRT’ Italian rider Franco Morbidelli and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing´s South African Brad Binder (Front) compete during the Moto GP Czech Grand Prix at Masaryk Circuit in Brno, yesterday.

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Manchester United’s players during a training session on the eve of the UEFA Europa League quarter-final match against Copenhagen at Cologne Stadium, yesterday.

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