20/05/2025

SPORTS TUESDAY | MAY 20, 2025 29 Napoli close in on Serie A title after stalemate

Villarreal beat Barca to secure Euro place VILLARREAL qualified for next season’s Champions League with an entertaining 3-2 win at newly-crowned La Liga champions Barcelona yesterday.

NAPOLI will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after being held to a goalless draw at Parma while closest rivals Inter Milan drew 2 2 in a dramatic game with Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres was fouled, only for the decision to be reversed for a foul committed by Giovanni Simeone earlier in the move. A feisty match at the Stadio Ennio Tardini ended with Conte

Santi Comesana lofted over Ter Stegen to equalise for the visitors, who nosed in front through Tajon Buchanan in the 80th minute. Barca fell to their first home defeat of 2025 and also their first league reverse this year, but chants of“champions”rang around the Olympic stadium, on potentially the team’s last game there before a return to the renovated Nou Camp next season. The domestic treble winners were presented with the league trophy at the end of the game to cap a superb first season under Flick. “We saw a lot of potential in the team... we can improve (Barca) a little a bit, they adapted to the idea of how we want to play and they showed they can play football,” said a proud Flick. “When you have confidence, everything is possible.”

and his Parma counterpart Cristian Chivu both being sent off following a blazing row between the two dugouts in the final moments. However a home win on the final day against Cagliari, who are safe thanks to a 3-0 win over second-from-bottom Venezia, will give Napoli a fourth league crown. “We’re close but we have more step to take in front of our own fans. We’ve been top for a large part of the season even with a lot of difficulties,” said Conte to DAZN . “It’s down to these boys who put their heart and soul into it. I really hope we can win this title because it would truly be a great achievement.” Inter’s final fixture is at Como who are finishing their first Serie A season in over two decades in

great form, although Cesc Fabregas’ team’s winning streak ended at six matches with a 1-1 draw at safe Verona. Napoli were saved from being overtaken by Inter thanks to a Pedro brace for Lazio, including a 90th-minute penalty. Denzel Dumfries thought he had headed home a potentially key goal with 10 minutes remaining at the San Siro, before a Yann Bisseck handball allowed Champions League chasers Lazio to snatch a point. Inter once again showed their wasteful side by giving away a lead twice, with Bisseck opening the scoring on the stroke of halftime before Pedro netted in the 73rd minute, while Marko Arnautovic missed a golden chance to move the hosts top in the dying moments. – AFP

Elsewhere Kylian Mbappe struck as Real Madrid won 2-0 at nine-man Sevilla, while Leganes gave themselves a chance of survival with a win at Las Palmas. Barcelona stars celebrated their 28th league title on an open-top bus on Saturday but Hansi Flick warned that “those who party, can work” and selected a strong side. However the visitors took the lead through in-form striker Ayoze Perez, who slotted past Marc-Andre ter Stegen after Nicolas Pepe set him up. Lamine Yamal, who scored a vital goal as Barca clinched the league on Friday at Espanyol, scored another stunner to level. The 17-year-old breezed past two defenders and arrowed a shot into the far bottom corner. Yamal hit the bar before Fermin Lopez sent Barca ahead, walloping home from the edge of the box.

Villarreal booked their return to Europe’s top competition as they opened up a big gap on Real Betis, sixth, as they were thrashed 4-1 at Atletico Madrid. – AFP Four in row for Max for Max Verstappen wins at Imola in Red Bull’s 400th race, trims Piastri’s overall lead M AX VERSTAPPEN took a dominant victory at Imola yesterday to celebrate Red Bull’s 400th grand prix and end Formula One leader Oscar like ‘well I’m going to try and send it around the outside’ and it worked really well,” said the Dutch driver. “Of course, that unleashed our pace because when we were in the lead, the car was good. I could look after my tyres.”

Norris, was never in any real danger when the safety car returned to the pits and he took the chequered flag 6.109 seconds clear of the Briton. “We had a good little battle at the end between Oscar and myself which was tense, but always good fun,” said Norris, who confirmed there had been no team orders for Piastri to cede position. “A good race. For us as a team, second and third is great. Of course you would love to be up there fighting against Max but they were too good for us today.” Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton finished a surprising fourth in his first race in Italy for Ferrari after starting 12th following a qualifying nightmare and then making the tyre strategy work for him. The 40-year-old, winner of the Shanghai sprint, passed teammate Charles Leclerc and was closing on Piastri as he scored his best result so far this season in a regular grand prix. “I’ve always loved when you’re fighting from further back and coming through,” he said. “That’s always such a better feeling than starting first and finishing first.” – Reuters

Piastri’s run of three wins in a row for McLaren. Australian Piastri started on pole but finished third, overtaken at the start around the outside in a brilliant move by Verstappen and then passed by teammate Lando Norris on fresher tyres seven laps from the end.

Piastri had started the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix as favourite for a fourth win in a row, and fifth in seven races but events went against him. A virtual safety car, triggered by Esteban Ocon stopping his Haas halfway through the race, came after his first early pitstop. “It’s never a great day when you start first and finish third,” said Piastri, who felt he had opened the door to Verstappen by braking too early. “You’re going to have tough days in the championship, and this is clearly one of them. So as long as we learn the lessons, that’s all I can ask.” A later safety car after Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli’s home debut ended by the side of the track, bunched up the field again with Verstappen and Norris stopping for fresh tyres and Piastri staying out. Verstappen, now only nine points behind

Piastri’s championship lead over Norris was trimmed from 16 points to 13 after seven rounds. The victory was Verstappen’s 65th, second of the season and the four-times world champion’s fourth in a row at the Italian circuit near Bologna after 2021, 2022 and 2024. There was no race in 2023 due to flooding. “The start itself wasn’t particularly great but I was still on the outside line, the normal line, so I was

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen passes the chequered flag in Imola. – REUTERSPIC

AFPPIC

Horner lauds Verstappen’s stunning overtake

Ű BY KIERAN JACKSON

his second victory of the year. Verstappen’s win narrows the gap to Piastri in the F1 drivers’ championship to 22 points after seven races and Red Bull team principal Horner was in awe of his driver’s racing instinct yesterday. “Max just sent it – it was win it or bin it,” Horner said in Imola. “Again, he’s just so good in that situation where he just sees a gap and it’s so decisive for him. “Thereafter… at all times, Max had the pace and he was able to respond, we never felt we were under pressure from behind.” McLaren were massive favourites heading into

the weekend, given their dominance so far this season as well as their one-two placings in practice on Friday. Yet while Norris faltered in qualifying, managing to claim only P4 on the grid, Piastri was unable to retain the lead at the start and, perhaps surprisingly, both McLaren cars could not reel in Verstappen out in front. “We were more surprised with McLaren’s lack of performance,” Horner added. “We got the car into a very good window yesterday, Max was certainly very positive about the balance and about being able to lean on the rear of the car.

“That was certainly a positive. That carried into the race. We were just in a better-balanced window, which proved to be the case. “To have the pace today, (for the first time) since Brazil last year – that’s the first time I can remember that we’ve had the pace to really pull away from the McLarens. “It’s been a very positive weekend, we’re building a bit of momentum, which is important for the championship.” F1 next heads to the traditional crown jewel on the calendar, the Monaco Grand Prix, this weekend. – The Independent

CHRISTIAN HORNER praised Max Verstappen’s “win it or bin it” attitude towards racing after his first-lap overtake on Oscar Piastri led to an impressive victory at the Emilia Romagna GP. Verstappen, starting second on the grid, capitalised on pole-sitter Piastri leaving a gap at the first braking zone at the start of the race. The Dutchman, criticised for his racing on lap one at the last race in Miami, stormed ahead of the McLaren and – despite two safety car interludes – looked assured out in front in sealing