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sports Dialuna 1 Februari 2021

Wolfsburg up to 3rd in Bundesliga, Wolf scores 2 for Cologne

(AP) — Wolfsburg rose to son. Freiburg stayed in ninth
third in the Bundesliga place.
on Sunday with a 3-0 win
over Freiburg, extend- Earlier, two goals from Mar-
ing its unbeaten run to ius Wolf lifted Cologne to a
five games amid a close 3-1 win over Arminia Biele-
fight for the Champions feld in a game between two
League places. teams trying to avoid relega-
tion. Cologne moved up two
Wolfsburg climbed above places to 14th with its second
Bayer Leverkusen, Borus- win of 2021, dropping Biele-
sia Dortmund and Eintracht feld into 16th and the relega-
Frankfurt to move firmly into tion playoff spot.
contention for Champions
League qualification. Wolfs- Wolf gave Cologne the lead
burg is 10 points off leader with a goal on the rebound in
Bayern Munich and three the 10th minute after Ellyes
behind Leipzig in second. Shkiri’s header was palmed
United States defender John away by the goalkeeper at a
Brooks lashed the ball in for corner. He added the second
the opening goal in the 21st 18 minutes later with a pow-
minute after Freiburg failed erful low volley off a mis-
to clear a corner. Wout We- placed headed clearance.
ghorst made it 2-0 with his
13th goal in 19 Bundesliga Freiburg midfielder Baptiste long drive which skimmed against the base of the post Elvis Rexhbeçaj extended
games just before halftime, Santamaria had a hat trick of the outside of the post. from close range. The third Cologne’s lead in the 63rd,
beating defender Keven missed chances either side of goal came eventually when finishing off an incisive team
Schlotterbeck and straining halftime, sending one header Soon after, Weghorst could midfielder Yannick Gerhardt move, before Sergio Córdova
to prod the ball past goal- over the bar, another header have tightened Wolfsburg’s knocked in a cross for his reduced the deficit for Biele-
keeper Florian Müller. onto the bar, and hitting a hold on the game but shot first league goal of the sea- feld.

Salah’s double leads Liverpool to 3-1 win at West Ham

(AP) — The goal drought This wasn’t the type of swag- curl past goalkeeper Lukasz
that symbolized Liver- gering performance that Fabianski.
pool’s ailing title defense produced a 7-2 thrashing of Milner, who had seemed to
is over for Mohamed Crystal Palace when Salah question Klopp’s substitu-
Salah. last found the net in the tion, seemingly apologized to
league. But the strength of his manager.
After six games without a the second-half performance The burden was lifted and
Premier League goal, Salah when grappling with a short- Liverpool was liberated. That
showed his vision and touch age of center backs shows was clear in the breathless
in netting twice in a 3-1 vic- why it was misguided to pre- counterattack leading to the
tory over West Ham on Sun- maturely rule Liverpool out second in the 68th minute.
day. of the title race. From a West Ham corner,
After a demoralizing slump It was the arrival of Curtis Trent Alexander-Arnold
for the team and the star Jones from the bench in the cleared with a long ball
striker, back-to-back 3-1 57th minute — a substitution switching flanks to Xherdan
wins have been reeled off that visually perplexed James Shaqiri, who crossed high
inside 70 hours after Thurs- Milner — that provided the over the top of the defense from the breakaway to scor- On a day when West Ham
day’s triumph at Tottenham. impetus to break the dead- into the penalty area. There, ing. Liverpool could relax, provided little attacking
Now Jürgen Klopp’s side is lock. the unmarked Salah brought especially after Alex Oxlade- threat and slipped out of the
up to third, four points be- the ball down with one touch Chamberlain and Roberto top four, only Craig Daw-
hind Manchester City, ahead After only 34 seconds in the before slicking clipping a shot Firmino combined to set up son’s late header from a cor-
of hosting the leaders next game, the 20-year-old mid- into the net. Gini Wijnaldum for the third ner breached Liverpool’s
Sunday after midweek games. fielder’s pass set up Salah to It took just seven touches in the 84th. goal.

Twins finalize $10.5M, 1-year deal with SS Andrelton Simmons

(AP) — The Minnesota and form a strong tandem on pandemic-shortened season
Twins finalized an $10.5 the left side with third base- and is a career .269 hitter in
million, one-year contract man Josh Donaldson. The nine years with Atlanta and
on Sunday with shortstop 31-year-old Simmons played the Angels. The Twins, who
Andrelton Simmons, en- the last five seasons with the have lost 18 consecutive post-
hancing their infield de- Los Angeles Angels. season games, signed starting
fense for 2021 as they seek Ankle injuries have side- pitcher J.A. Happ and relief
a third straight AL Cen- lined the Curacao native for pitcher Hansel Robles to
tral division title and at- stretches in each of the last supplement their roster.
tempt to stop their record three years. Since 2012, his Left fielder Eddie Rosario
postseason losing streak. rookie season with the Atlan- and relief pitcher Trevor May
ta Braves, Simmons leads all have joined other teams.
Simmons agreed to the players in baseball in two key Designated hitter Nelson
deal earlier in the week. The defensive metrics: runs saved Cruz and starting pitcher
four-time Gold Glove award (191) and ultimate zone rat- Jake Odorizzi are the Min-
winner will allow Jorge Po- ing (113.1). Simmons batted nesota’s most prominent free
lanco to move to second base .297 in 30 games during the agents who remain unsigned.