Rory storms into lead at Wentworth
Well, once again Madrid are here. The Uefa Champions League final seems to be a date they have circled in the diary every year and once more they may believe it is their destiny to lift the trophy for an unprecedented 13th time. Zinédine Zidane has a selection dilemma up top – Gareth Bale or Karim Benzema? – but whoever isn’t given the nod isn’t a bad option to bring on, either
Jürgen Klopp’s troops have no reason to fear Real Madrid. The Merengues may have big-game experience on their side, but Liverpool’s irrepressible front three are capable of inflicting serious damage on the holders. If the Reds can show the defensive steel that served them so well over two legs against Manchester City in the quarters, they might just crown this remarkable campaign with a sixth European Cup.
Zinédine Zidane, Real Madrid coach This will probably be the hardest final we’ve ever had to play. We will have to be at our very best – we know that – and on all levels, not just physical. They’re an English team, so they will never give up, but they don’t just rely on their physical attributes. Liverpool are also good technically, with a lot of speed and great individual players.
Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool manager We had an agreement when we started working together that I’m responsible for any defeats, the boys are responsible for when we win. So they have nothing to lose. Experience is very important and I’m pretty sure a second before the game Madrid will be more confident than us. But it doesn’t matter because the game doesn’t stop there, it only starts. They’ve not played us and we are Liverpool – not only a good football team, but we have in our DNA to go for big things. — Uefa NORTHERN Ireland’s Rory McIlroy cIlroy blazed a trail to the top of the BMW PGA Championship mpionship leaderboard with a scintillating seven-under 65 in his second round at Wentworth yesterday.
Starting the day a couple of f shots behind leader Lucas Bjerregaard, McIlroy gave an iron-play masterclass and matched it with h a fine putting display to card seven birdies as he moved ed to 12 under for the tournament. McIlroy, bidding to win the European Tour’s flagship event for the second cond time after his 2014 triumph, was playing with ith Swede Alex Noren and England’s Lee Westwood wood with the trio not dropping a shot between n them on a becalmed West Course.
Noren is on seven under r with Westwood at five under.
Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat arnrat played his way up the leaderboard oard but, like on Thursday, found water on the way to bogeying the 18th. He ended with a 69 to leave him tied with Noren and England’s Robert Rock, who took the early clubhouse lead with an impressive round of 68. Denmark’s Bjerregaard failed to build on his opening-day 65, struggling to a one-over 73 after a double-bogey on the 18th. It took a while for McIlroy to fire up his putter. He failed to make birdie on the opening three holes but did d so on the fourth, seventh and ninth.
The 29-year-old added four more birdies on his inward in nine and his round could have been even better but for two disappointing pars on the par-five 17th and 18th.
His 36-hole total of 132 was only one shot off the record for the tournament and he will take some stopping. st
“It’s easy to get yourself in trouble here so to keep it in play for 36 holes is nice,” McIlroy said.
“I hit it to six to eight feet on the first three holes but none of them dropped and I thought ‘here we go’ but I played great after that and I took my chances.”
Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, named as a Ryder Cup vice captain this year, put himself in contention with a five-under 67 to climb up to six under u for the tournament going into the weekend when w thunderstorms are expected. — SuperSport