Dinamo urged not to underestimate Celtic
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Dinamo urged not to underestimate Celtic
WORLD SPORT Email: sport@gdn.com.bh Gulf Daily News Thursday, 2nd October 2014 39 Dinamo urged not to underestimate Celtic GLASGOW: Croatia legend Robert Prosinecki has warned former club Dinamo Zagreb it would foolish to underestimate Celtic after detecting hints of complacency in his homeland. The Parkhead outfit’s two Champions League exits to Legia Warsaw and Maribor have convinced some in the Croatian media that Ronny Deila’s men are there for the taking in Glasgow tonight. But ex-Real Madrid and Barcelona playmaker Prosinecki pointed out that Dinamo are a shadow of the side they were in his 1990s heyday – and believes Celtic will be formidable opponents as they seek the victory he feels will leave them on the cusp of qualifying for the knockout stages of TONIGHT’S EUROPA LEAGUE FIXTURES Second round of group matches: Groups A to F (10.05pm Bahrain time) GROUP A FC Zurich (SUI) v Borussia M’gladbach (GER) Villarreal (ESP) v Apollon Limassol (CYP) GROUP B HJK Helsinki (FIN) v Club Brugge (BEL) Torino (ITA) v FC Copenhagen (DEN) GROUP C A. Tripolis (GRE) v Partizan Belgrade (SRB) Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) v Besiktas (TUR) GROUP D Astra Giurgiu (ROM) v Salzburg (AUT) Celtic (SCO) v Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) GROUP E Dinamo Moscow v PSV Eindhoven (NED) Estoril (POR) v Panathinaikos (GRE) GROUP F Saint-Etienne (FRA) v Dnipro D’petrovsk (UKR) Inter Milan v Qarabag (AZE) the Europa League. “I keep reading stories in Croatia that Celtic are weak these days just because of what happened against Legia Warsaw and because Maribor beat them,” said the 45-year- Groups G to L (kick-offs 8pm Bahrain time unless stated) GROUP G Feyenoord (NED) v Standard Liege (BEL) Rijeka (CRO) v Sevilla (ESP) GROUP H FC Krasnodar (RUS) v Everton (ENG) (7pm) VfL Wolfsburg (GER) v Lille (FRA) GROUP I Sparta Prague (CZE) v Young Boys (SUI) Slovan Bratislava (SVK) v Napoli (ITA) GROUP J Dynamo Kiev (UKR) v St. Bucharest (ROM) Aalborg (DEN) v Rio Ave (POR) GROUP K Guingamp (FRA) v PAOK (GRE) Dinamo Minsk (BLR) v Fiorentina (ITA) GROUP L Lokeren (BEL) v Metalist Kharkiv (UKR) Trabzonspor (TUR) v Legia Warsaw (POL) old, part of a Dinamo team who lost 1-0 to Celtic in a Champions League qualifier in 1998 but went on to crush them 3-0 in Zagreb. “They are not – and Dinamo don’t have the same standard as team as when we last played Celtic. “If Celtic’s stadium is close to being full, it will be a very, very tough night for Dinamo. “Celtic took a point in Austria against Salzburg and they know if they can win, this will be a key outcome for them. It will almost guarantee their qualification.’ The former Yugoslavia midfielder, who had two spells with Dinamo before managing Red Star Belgrade, recalled his own trip to Parkhead, saying: “We lost 1-0 in Glasgow. We were the better team and missed two great chances, but in football the better team doesn’t always win.” Liverpool bow to brave Basel l Arsenal and Real register fine victories BASEL: Swiss champions FC Basel claimed another English Premier League scalp when they deservedly beat a sloppy Liverpool 1-0 with a Marco Streller goal in the Champions League early this morning. The Basel captain turned the ball in from close range after goalkeeper Simon Mignolet saved a goal-bound header seven minutes into the second half as the Swiss pulled off another European upset. Basel, who bounced back from a 5-1 mauling by Real Madrid in their opening game, have previously beaten Chelsea and Manchester United in the Champions League in the last four seasons and knocked Tottenham Hotspur out of the Europa League. Liverpool, who began Group B with a home win over Ludogorets Razgrad, gave Basel goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik very little to do and Raheem Sterling fluffed their best chance in the 75th minute when Adam Lallana sent him clear but he hesitated too long and was dispossessed. Liverpool and Basel both have three points after two games, behind Real Madrid who top the group with six. Steven Gerrard summed up Liverpool’s evening when he wasted two early set pieces with poor delivery. Danny Welbeck scored his first career hat-trick as Arsenal overpowered Galatasaray 4-1 and survived with 10 men for the last half-hour after goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off. Cristiano Ronaldo helped title holders Real Madrid survive an early scare in Bulgaria and come away with all three points from a 2-1 win over Ludogorets Razgrad in Sofia. Ludogorets, a modest provincial club who have only been in n Spartak fans banned for Hulk racist abuse MOSCOW: Spartak Moscow will have to play their next Premier League away match with their fan sector closed after the club’s supporters were penalised for having racially abused Zenit’s Brazilian star Hulk at the weekend. The decision was taken yesterday after Russia’s Football Union (RFU) disciplinary panel investigated the incident, which had been included in the report filed by the RFU delegate at the match. “The RFU has ordered Spartak to play their next Premier League away match with their fan sector closed as a punishment for their fans’ racial abuse of Zenit forward Hulk during the match at Saint Petersburg on the weekend,” Artur Grigoryants, the head of the RFU disciplinary board, told the press. n Park joins Al Shabab SEOUL: South Korean striker Park Chu-young has signed a one-year contract with Saudi Arabian side Al Shabab, the latest attempt to kick-start the talented forward’s flagging career. Park, who has scored 24 goals in more than 60 matches for South Korea, had been without a club since ending a three-year spell with English Premier League side Arsenal in June. The 29-year-old former international captain spent most of his final two years on loan at other clubs and was included in South Korea’s squad for their woeful World Cup campaign in June where they exited Brazil with just one point at the group stage. n Ramsey and Allen ruled out LONDON: Midfielders Aaron n Basel’s Streller, right, scores against Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. Inset, Streller celebrates with team mates existence for 13 years, stunned the 10-time European champions with a sixth-minute strike and threatened throughout despite Ronaldo taking a hand. The Portuguese star missed one penalty and had a goal disallowed before scoring from a second spot-kick to spare Real’s blushes – all in the first 25 minutes. French striker Karim Benzema made sure Real’s reputation remained intact with the winning goal 13 minutes from time. Strike A second-half strike by Arda Turan gave Atletico Madrid a 1-0 win against Juventus in Group A. Juventus dominated possession but paid for a lack of penetration when Juanfran Torres crossed from the right and Turan stabbed the ball home at the far post with goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon stranded in the 75th minute. All four teams in the group now have three points, with Malmo beating Olympiakos 2-0. Juventus gradually took control as the first half wore on, with midfielder Claudio Marchisio unleashing a shot from 20 metres that flew wide of Miguel Moya’s goal. After the break, the Italian side began to convert its overwhelming possession into pressure on the 2014 finalist’s defense, only for Turan to grab the winner. South Korean Son Heung-Min scored a goal and was involved in another to help Bayer Leverkusen breathe life into their campaign with a 3-1 win at home to Portuguese side Benfica. Zenit St Petersburg and Monaco’s goalless draw earlier yesterday means Leverkusen remain third in the Group C table, a point adrift of them. Colombian international Adrian Ramos struck twice after forward Ciro Immobile had opened the scoring in the third minute as Borussia Dortmund swept to a convincing 3-0 victory over Anderlecht in Group D. CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP A Atletico Madrid 1 Juventus 0 (Turan 74) Malmo 2 Olympiakos 0 (Rosenberg 42, 82) GROUP B Ludogorets 1 Real Madrid 2 (Marcelinho 6) (Cristiano Ronaldo 25-pen, Benzema 77) Basel 1 Liverpool 0 (Streller 52) GROUP C Leverkusen 3 Benfica 1 (Kiessling 25, Son Heung-min 34, Calhanoglu 64-pen) (Salvio 62) Zenit 0 Monaco 0 GROUP D Arsenal 4 Galatasaray 1 (Welbeck 22, 30, 52, Sanchez 41) (B. Yilmaz 63-pen) Anderlecht 0 Dortmund 3 (Immobile 3, Ramos 69, 79) Ramsey and Joe Allen are set to miss Wales’ upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers against BosniaHerzegovina and Cyprus in Cardiff, manager Chris Coleman said yesterday. The pair will be sidelined for the game against the Bosnians on October 10 and Cyprus three days’ later. Arsenal rising star Ramsey damaged a hamstring in the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend and has been ruled out for the next four weeks. Meanwhile Liverpool’s Allen has not played since Wales’ opening Euro 2016 victory in Andorra on September 9 following a hernia operation. n Bordeaux’s Sane sidelined BORDEAUX, France: Bordeaux captain Lamine Sane will be out for up to seven weeks after surgery on his right knee yesterday. Sane was hurt a month ago in a 2-1 win over Evian in the French league, and was operated on in Marseille by orthopedic surgeon Jean-Pierre Franceschi. The club said the Senegal centre back will be sidelined “between five to seven weeks.”