Schalke, Frankfurt into last four
PARIS: Nabil Fekir’s penalty helped Lyon beat Montpellier 2-1 on Wednesday ( Thursday in Manila) to reach the since 2012.
Maxwel Cornet caught home goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte by surprise to give the visitors an early lead, only for Jonathan Ikone to quickly lash in an equalizer.
But Fekir grabbed his 20th goal of the season with a 27thminute spot- kick, which proved to be the winner, leaving Montpellier coach Michel Der Zakarian fuming after Fekir was adjudged to have been fouled by Pedro Mendes.
“The penalty? Often big teams are rewarded or favored,” the Armenian said.
“When Paris, Marseille, Monaco or Lyon cry, referees whistle penalties for them. We’ve had situations, (but) we haven’t had BERLIN: - tory over Wolfsburg and a place in on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).
- furt also progressed to the last four, as a comedy of defensive errors saw them beat local rivals Mainz 3-0.
- ern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen
what proved to be a dull game. Just nine minutes in, Austrian Burgstaller broke free on the counter- attack, picking up the ball on the halfway line before keeping his cool in the penalty area to slide the ball into the bottom corner.
Wolfsburg rallied, with Yunus Malli hitting the bar and Ralf Faehrmann forced into two saves before half-time.
- ter the break, however, and neither side created another the second half.
Only in the 85th minute did Wolfsburg come close to equalising, Leon Goretzka clearing Daniel Didavi’s header off the goalline.
In Frankfurt, a mistake from Mainz goalkeeper Rene Adler gave the home side the lead on 17 min since he picked up an injury in October, Adler misjudged a backpass Rebic with an open goal.
- a penalty since the beginning of the season.” Lyon move into the last eight ago, bouncing back from back-toback league defeats that have seen them slip to fourth in Ligue 1. Coach Bruno Genesio - es to the side t h a t blew a two- goal lead to lose 3- 2 to 10- man Monaco at the weekend,
Schalke’s Austrian midfielder Alessandro Schoepf and Wolfsburg’s Brazilian defender William vie for the ball during the German football Cup DFB Pokal quarter-final match FC Schalke 04 versus VFL Wolfsburg on Thursday in Gelsenkirchen. ond half, Frankfurt doubled the lead, as - tien Haller’s cross into his own net. Hack then gave the ball away in his own half just after the hour mark, allowing Omar Mascarell to and it was Cornet who made the most of his opportunity by giving them a 13th-minute lead.
The 21-year-old latched onto Bertrand Traore’s pass, and with Lecomte anticipating a cross, he score his fourth goal of the season.
But Montpellier levelled just nine minutes later, as 19-year-old met Paul Lasne’s cutback to hammer into the top corner.
It took Lyon less than five minutes to move back in front, though, as Mendes clumsily bundled over Fekir in the area, with himself up to slot in from the penalty spot. Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes had to make a couple of good saves in the second half, while Memphis Depay spurned an excellent
chance at the other end, loft the ball elegantly over Adler for Frankfurt’s third.
Mainz’s misery was compounded in the 82nd minute, when Danny Latza was sent off for a reckless challenge on Marco Fabian.
“We didn’t show any balls, and we played like amateurs today,” but the away side held on with relative ease.
Wednesday, Caen edged out Ligue 1’s bottom club Metz on penalties after a 2-2 draw, while third-tier Chambly Granville’s run and Lens beat
continued their bid for a fourth straight title as Angel Di Maria scored a
Marseille are also through after Kostas Mitroglou and Lucas Ocampos both scored trebles in a 9-0 thumping of second-tier Bourg-enBresse. s a i d Mainz midfielder Nigel De Jong. “I am disappointed and frustrated. This low point for us.” is a MILAN: Serie A leaders Napoli face a tough test of their title hopes when they host bruised Lazio this weekend, while Juventus travel to Florence ready to pounce before they play Tottenham in the Champions League.
Lazio — 14 points behind Napoli in third place — arrive in Naples desperately in need of three points after back-to-back defeats to AC Milan and Genoa.
Failure could see Simone Inzaghi’s side slip off the podium with Inter Milan and Roma — also licking their wounds after recent struggles — on alert as they host Bologna and bottom club Benevento respectively.
Napoli are just one point ahead of Juventus but this weekend could see the six-time defending champions pull ahead.
Maurizio Sarri will be only too aware that Lazio inflicted just one of Juventus’s two defeats this season, ending the Turin giants’ two-year unbeaten home record last October.
And Inzaghi will be keen to avenge a demoralising 4-1 defeat the last time the two sides met in the Stadio Olimpico.
Juventus are gaining momentum after a seven-goal demolition of Sassuolo — capped by a Gonzalo Higuain hat-trick — before Friday’s game in Tuscany against an inconsistent Fiorentina in 11th place.
“We mustn’t be afraid of facing Juventus,” said Fiorentina’s Davide Astori, as his side look to build on last week’s win in Bologna.
“If they feel we’re worried, goodbye, we’re dead,” the Italian defender continued. “Gonzalo Higuain is the number one danger. He’s ruthless, if you allow him just 30cm of space you’re doomed.”
Massimiliano Allegri wants Juventus in shape before Tuesday’s Champions League last 16 first leg clash in Turin with Spurs.
And what better way than an eighth straight league win, despite an injury list that includes Blaise Matuidi, Paulo Dybala, Juan Cuadrado and Benedikt Howedes.
“Right now, we have to think about
‘Be brave, be ready’
Inter Milan and Roma are both jostling for Champions League football despite mixed fortunes in recent games.
Luciano Spalletti blamed his side’s lack of character for going 10 games in all competitions without a win -- a series that has seen them collect just six points from eight league games and score only five goals.
But Inter captain Mauro Icardi should be back against Bologna after missing the draw with Crotone with a muscle injury.
Roma have been showing signs of recovery since losing to Juventus before Christmas by winning their first game of the year last weekend at Verona.
And Benevento coach Roberto De Zerbi has acknowledged his side, with just seven points from 23 games, will be up against it at the Stadio Olimpico despite new recruits including former Premier League players Sandro and Bacary Sagna.
“If we can get these sort of guys back to top condition they will be key players for us,” said De Zerbi. “In terms of team spirit and understanding it isn’t the ideal moment to take on a great side like Roma.
“We will have to be brave. But we will be ready.”
AC Milan continues their push for European football at SPAL, who occupy 18th place, with club director Massimiliano Mirabelli praising coach Gennaro Gattuso for finally “making Milan a team”.
In midtable, Torino host Udinese on Sunday as a shell-shocked Sassuolo look for home comforts against Cagliari, with Chievo hosting Genoa, who eased their relegation worries against Lazio.