Home » Sports

Sports

Neymar off on stretcher after twisting ankle

| | Paris

Neymar went off on a stretcher after twisting his right ankle late in league leader Paris Saint-Germain's 3-0 victory against Marseille on Sunday.

The Brazil striker was taken off with 10 minutes remaining, after going in for a challenge on Marseille defender Bouna Sarr.

PSG coach Unai Emery is hopeful that Neymar will recover in time for the Champions League game against Real Madrid on March 6. PSG trail 3-1 from the first leg in the last 16.

"The first tests revealed a twist. We will do further tests," Emery said. "For the match against Real, if I had to say 'yes or no' right now, I'd say yes."

Neymar had his head in his hands and appeared tearful as he was taken off. His standing leg jarred as he lost balance and the weight of his body went onto his ankle, which briefly buckled under him.

"Of course I'm worried about Neymar," PSG goalkeeper Alphonse Areola said. "His ankle was quite swollen. He's an important player for us and I hope he comes back quickly."

PSG's game against fierce rivals Marseille was heated, especially in the second half, with cheap challenges from both teams and 11 yellow cards — six of them for the hosts.

"We were solid and we tried to control the game," PSG captain Thiago Silva said. "It's a shame that we lost an important player (Neymar) at the end."

The win moved PSG 14 points clear of second-place Monaco, with only 11 games left. Marseille are two points further back in third.

PSG's first two goals stemmed from Marseille's mistakes at the back.

In the 10th minute, PSG right back Dani Alves' pass behind the defence was easily read by left back Jordan Amavi. But rather than clearing the ball properly, his soft sliding tackle knocked it to Kylian Mbappe, who skipped past another defender before drilling a low shot into the bottom right corner.

The second goal came from the other side, as midfielder Adrien Rabiot broke down the left and his cross found Neymar, whose side-footed pass was turned into his own net by center half Jorge Rolando in the 28th.

PSG's third in the 56th owed nothing to fortune, as Cavani expertly controlled Neymar's pass from the left with the inside of his foot, easily turned Rolando and smacked in a powerful shot past goalkeeper Yohann Pele for his league-leading 24th of the season.

Mbappe shook his head disapprovingly when substituted, with winger Angel Di Maria replacing him for the last 30 minutes.

Marseille threatened mainly from midfielder Dimitri Payet's laser-like free kicks, but no one could get on the end of them.

SAME OLD MISTAKES

Lyon's poor defending cost the team once again as right back Mathieu Debuchy scored a last-minute equalizer for local rival Saint-Etienne in a 1-1 draw.

Debuchy, a recent signing from Premier League Arsenal, was left unmarked inside the penalty area to steer in a shot off the post from Remy Cabella's left-wing cross.

Lyon has only two points from the past five games - conceding 11 goals - and the club's hopes of securing a top-three finish and a place in next season's Champions League are fading fast. Fourth-place Lyon is five points behind third-place Marseille.

 
 
 
 
 

TOP STORIES

Sunday Edition

View All

Multi-dimensional, integrated approach needed to eliminate leprosy

25 Feb 2018 | M Venkaiah Naidu

Today, we are conferring International Gandhi Award-2017 on two outstanding personalities, Dr MD Gupte and Dr Atul Shah, for their selfless and humanitarian services in the cause of elimination of leprosy and in alleviating the suffering of leprosy-affected patients. Leprosy has been prevalent in our country since a very long time...

Read More

STATE EDITIONS

View All

4 Maoists dead in encounter with security forces

27 Feb 2018 | PNS | DALTONGANJ

Four Maoists, including two women cadres of the Madhya Zone of CPI (Maoist) were today killed in an encounter with security forces at Malanga Pahar under Chhatarpur police station of Palamu district. Security forces recovered two SLRs, 5 magazines, 219 bullets, 8 cell phones, back packs, uniforms, naxal literature and eatables...

Read More