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Monday 11 deceMber 2017
Messi, Suarez give Barcelona 2-0 win at 10-man Villarreal

By JOSEPH WILSON Suarez finished off a quick to play when Sergio Bus- Apart from Gerard Pique’s “We were in control and
Associated Press passing combination, in- quets intercepted the ball header off the post early the sending-off completely
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — volving himself, Messi and near Villarreal’s area and on, hosts Villarreal had kept changed the match,” Vil-
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez substitute Paco Alcacer, passed for the Argentina Barcelona in check until re- larreal coach Javier Calle-
scored after Villarreal was by rounding goalkeeper forward to speed between serve team forward Daniel ja said. “He tried to go for
reduced to 10 men to give Sergio Asenjo and tapping two defenders and fire past Rabaseda saw a direct red the ball and arrived late. It
Barcelona a 2-0 win on the ball home in the 72nd Asenjo. The goal took Mes- card for a studs-first tackle was a foul, but I don’t think
Sunday that maintained its minute. Messi then sealed si’s league-leading tally to into Busquets’ ankle with a it was a red. It is easier to
lead of the Spanish league. the win with seven minutes 14 for the season. half-hour remaining. send off young players.”q

City beats United 2-1 in Manchester derby, leads EPL by 11

By STEVE DOUGLAS only thing lacking and in-
AP Sports Writer variably the opening goal
MANCHESTER, England (AP) came from a source which
— Manchester City capi- United was supposed to
talized on two defensive have the advantage: The
lapses by Romelu Lukaku set piece.
to claim a record-setting De Bruyne’s outswinging
2-1 win over Manchester corner hit Lukaku as the
United and open up an United striker challenged
11-point lead over its fierce for the ball with Otamendi,
rival in the Premier League and Silva was on hand to
on Sunday. guide the loose ball past
Both of Lukaku’s mistakes stranded goalkeeper Da-
came in United’s penalty vid De Gea from just inside
area while the forward was the six-yard box.
defending set pieces, with City’s players switched
David Silva and Nicolas Ot- off in the final moments of
amendi taking advantage the half and United made
to score with close-range them pay. De Bruyne had
finishes in the 43rd and 54th already wasted a three-
minutes. on-two breakaway when
Marcus Rashford equalized Otamendi failed to deal
for United between City’s with a routine long ball for-
goals, from another defen- Manchester City’s Nicolas Otamendi, right, scores his side’s second goal during the English Premier ward from United center
sive mistake, in the meet- League soccer match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford Stadium back Marcos Rojo, who
ing of the league’s top two in Manchester, England, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017. was bandaged up after a
teams at Old Trafford. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson) clash of heads with Silva.
It was City’s 14th straight val Jose Mourinho, his ninth can compete on big stag- football are behind them.” Otamendi misjudged the
victory in the league, some- in 20 meetings between es with huge personality.” The game kicked off in light flight of the ball and suc-
thing that has never been them. Mourinho has won Just like City did in beating snowfall and, until being ceeded only in glancing a
achieved by a team be- four of them. Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford caught cold by Rashford’s header backward, behind
fore in England’s top flight With 16 games gone, City is Bridge and thrashing Liver- equalizer, City overran Unit- his flat-footed left back Fa-
in a single season. Arsenal still unbeaten in the league pool 5-0 at home. ed at times, just like in last bian Delph.
won 14 straight games in and looking unstoppable Mourinho pointed to two season’s 2-1 win at Old Traf- Rashford was more alert,
2002, but across two sea- as it goes for its first league major incidents in the final ford. Kevin De Bruyne and driving a first-time shot low
sons. title until Guardiola. Third- 10 minutes of normal time: Silva, in particular, were past Ederson. Both teams
In handing United its first place Chelsea is 14 points the failure to award United given so much time in cen- were forced into halftime
loss at Old Trafford since off the pace, with its coach a penalty for Otamendi’s tral midfield with opposite substitutions in defense
winning there in Septem- Antonio Conte having al- challenge on Ander Her- numbers Nemanja Matic — Kompany off for City,
ber last year, City ended ready given up on defend- rera and then City goal- and Herrera unsure wheth- Rojo for United — but the
its neighbor’s club record- ing the trophy. keeper Ederson Moraes’s er to close down or retreat shape of the game didn’t
equaling run of 40 matches “You cannot be champi- double save from Lukaku in front of their defense. change. Lukaku barely
unbeaten at home in all ons in December,” Guar- and Juan Mata. It meant City was getting threatened up front for
competitions. diola said, attempting to “Manchester City are a quite easily to the edge United but he again unin-
And it gave City manager downplay expectations. very good team and they of United’s box before en- tentionally made his pres-
Pep Guardiola another win “But it’s important for our are protected by the luck,” countering a wall of red jer- ence felt at the other end
over his great coaching ri- confidence to feel that we Mourinho said. “The gods of seys. The final pass was the of the field. q

Napoli draws 0-0 against Fiorentina, fails to go back top

By DANIELLA MATAR the league but it remained also held to a 0-0 draw, at it was coming off the back had a bit of a nervy first
Associated Press second, a point behind In- Chievo Verona. of successive defeats to Ju- half but then we created
MILAN (AP) — Napoli is ter Milan and one above AC Milan got its first league ventus and Feyenoord, the chances ... we just lacked
struggling without Lorenzo Juventus after those two win since Nov. 5 and its first latter of which saw it elimi- the finishing touch but we’ll
Insigne and was held to a sides drew 0-0 on Saturday. under new coach Genn- nated from the Champions get back to scoring. “We
goalless draw by Fiorentina All of the top four teams aro Gattuso as it beat Bolo- League. “Today I didn’t looked good tonight and, if
in Serie A on Sunday. failed to score this week- gna 2-1. Napoli knew a vic- see the same attacking we had won 1-0, everyone
Maurizio Sarri’s team could end. Roma remained five tory over Fiorentina would problems we had in Rot- would be talking about Na-
have gone back top of points behind Inter as it was see it reclaim top spot but terdam,” Sarri said. “We poli being back. q