A stoppage-time goal by striker Mario Gomez gave hosts VfB Stuttgart a 1-0 win against Hamburg on Sunday and boosted their hopes of a European spot.
The defeat left Hamburg in third place, level on 51 points with second-placed Bayern Munich. Stuttgart moved to within a point of fourth-placed Hertha Berlin, who are on 49 points.
The top two teams qualify for the Champions League, the third plays Champions League qualifiers, while the fourth and fifth-placed teams qualify for what next year will be known as the Europa League.
PHOTO: AFP
VfL Wolfsburg top the standings with 54 points.
Stuttgart were the more aggressive side and deserved the win, while Hamburg looked tired after their midweek 3-1 win against Manchester City in the UEFA Cup.
“I had already settled for a 0-0,” Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel said. “But the boys wanted the win. We continuously tried to create chances and at the end we were rewarded.”
The hosts twice demanded a penalty for what they said were a handball and a foul on Timo Gebhart and television replays showed Hamburg were lucky to get away with both.
While Stuttgart repeatedly threatened through Thomas Hitzlsperger, Ciprian Marica and Gomez, Hamburg largely depended on quick counterattacks targeting striker Ivica Olic.
Olic came close twice just before the break, with the Croatian first chasing a long ball down the left and firing wide, and then hitting the crossbar with a curled shot.
The hosts were again more willing to attack in the second half, coming close with shots from substitute Julian Schieber, Gomez and Hitzlsperger.
Hamburg almost grabbed the win in the 90th minute when Dennis Aogo hit the bar with a thundering drive from 16m.
But it was Stuttgart who grabbed all three points when Gomez pounced on a loose ball in the box after Hamburg keeper Frank Rost saved a Hitzlsperger low drive, to drill the ball home deep in stoppage time for his 15th league goal of the season.
“If you cannot get three points from a match you should at least get one,” Hamburg coach Martin Jol said.
“But it is extremely bitter not to have any after this match. For 90 minutes I was satisfied with the performance of my team,” he said.
In the day’s only other match, Bayer Leverkusen lost ground in their bid to claim a European spot when they drew 1-1 with Werder Bremen. They are in ninth place on 42 points.
Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen yesterday exited at the BWF World Tour Finals in China, losing in the semi-finals to China’s world No. 1 Shi Yuqi. Shi, who was named the BWF Men’s Singles Player of the Year, had a 9-4 record against Chou going into the match. He extended that record to 9-5 with a 21-14, 21-18 victory. Chou advanced to the men’s singles semi-finals on Friday by upsetting top-seeded Anders Antonsen of Denmark in a must-win match at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium. The 16-21, 21-18, 21-15 victory saw Chou secure his second semi-finals appearance at the tournament, despite his relatively older
‘REMARKABLE’: Gaelic football is a traditional Irish sport that blends the skills of soccer and rugby, and hurling is an ancient sport played with a wooden stick and ‘sliotar’ The Taiwan Celts Gaelic Football Club marked a milestone achievement at the Asian Gaelic Games in Bangkok on Nov. 23 and 24, with two sides advancing to the knockout stages and competing at hurling for the first time. The event brought together 68 teams from 16 clubs across Asia, with more than 800 players in men’s and women’s tournaments. Gaelic football is a traditional Irish team sport that blends the skills of soccer, rugby union and basketball. Hurling is an ancient Irish sport played with a wooden stick, called a hurley, and a small ball, or sliotar. The Taiwan Celts’ women’s team reached
India’s chess star Gukesh Dommaraju returned to a hero’s welcome in his home city yesterday after becoming the youngest world champion aged only 18. Hundreds of fans crowded the arrivals area of Chennai International Airport, cheering alongside banks of television cameras as Gukesh made his way out of the airport after victory in taking the World Chess Championship title. “It means a lot to bring back the trophy to India,” Gukesh told reporters, with garlands of flowers draped around his neck, brandishing the glittering trophy in his hand. “I can see the support and what it means to India, I
LIVERPOOL WIN: The 50th Champions League goal by Mohamed Salah helped the leaders of the Premier League to keep their perfect record intact Real Madrid’s big stars on Tuesday turned on the style to revive the Spanish giant’s faltering UEFA Champions League title defense. Galacticos Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham all scored in a thrilling 3-2 win against Serie A leaders Atalanta BC. However, Madrid still had to ride their luck as Mateo Retegui fired over from in front of goal in stoppage-time when handed a golden chance to level the game. It was only Madrid’s third win in the competition’s revamped league phase and leaves the 15-time champions in the unseeded playoff positions in 18th place. “It’s a very important win. Not everyone wins
RSS