Barcelona: Barcelona moved to within a point of a third successive Spanish league title yesterday with a 2-0 win over Espanyol in the Catalan derby. Goals from Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique took Barcelona to 91 points, eight ahead of Real Madrid, who stayed alive in the title race with a 6-2 win over Sevilla on Saturday. Barcelona, who have a superior head-to-head record over Real, will be crowned champions if they avoid defeat against Levante on Wednesday.
Ancelotti: Carlo Ancelotti yesterday admitted his future at Chelsea is hanging in the balance after Manchester United all but clinched the Premier League title following a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. Ancelotti said: “I have another year on my contract and I would like to stay but it is the decision of the club. The club will take a decision at the end of the season, we have two more games, two more weeks and we wait and see.”
Adam: Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam has defended the tackle which may have caused serious injury to Gareth Bale, insisting he never meant to hurt the Tottenham winger in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane. Bale left the ground on crutches with a protective boot. Adam said: “I just saw the ball. I just tried to get it. It was never intentional. I never tried to hurt him because he’s a wonderful player and at the end of the day I’d rather see these players on the pitch.”
Odemwingie: West Brom are set to offer a new contract to leading scorer Peter Odemwingie, club manager Roy Hodgson has said. He has scored 14 goals during his first season in the Premier League and played a major part in them securing top-flight status. Odemwingie has one year remaining on his current deal plus a 12-month option.
Augsburg: Augsburg are now virtually assured of promotion to the Bundesliga for the first time in their history following their 2-1 home victory over FSV Frankfurt yesterday. Augsburg are set to finish as second division runners-up behind champions Hertha Berlin, who had their promotion confirmed last week. Bavarian side Augsburg are now three points ahead of third-placed Bochum with a superior goal difference.
Dutch Cup final: Ajax vs Twente 2-3 (aet; 90 mins – 2-2).
Commonwealth Games: Disgraced Sri Lankan boxer Manju Wanniarachchi was stripped of his Commonwealth Games gold medal yesterday after he failed a second doping test for a banned steroid. Sean McGoldrick from Wales becomes the bantamweight Games champion as a result. The Commonwealth Games Federation’s (CGF) Federation Court said Wanniarachchi has been disqualified from the 2010 Commonwealth Games and his competition results at the Delhi event annulled.
Ice Hockey: Denmark’s national ice hockey delegation fell victim to thieves who struck at their Bratislava hotel while they were playing a match at the world championship on Saturday, organisers announced. Reports said the thieves ransacked several rooms in the Danish team’s hotel, stealing computers, electronic gadgets, perfume, sunglasses, credit cards and cash. “We were looking forward to enjoying a nice evening together as a winning team after the game against Germany and instead we got to spend half the night with the Slovak police,” Danish skipper Morten Green said.
Athletics: US sprinter Camerlita Jeter ran the fastest time in the world this year to capture the 100-metre women’s crown on Saturday at the Jamaica International Invitational athletics meet. Jeter won in 10.86 seconds with Trinidad and Tobago’s Kelly-Ann Baptiste second in 10.94 and Jamaican Sherone Simpson third in 11.07. Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt’s training partner, was also impressive in winning the men’s 100m crown in a wind-aided 9.80 seconds with Antigua’s Daniel Bailey second in 9.94 and American Mike Rodgers third in 9.96.
Basket, NBA: Kevin Garnett scored 28 points and Rajon Rondo played the fourth quarter after suffering a dislocated left elbow as the Boston Celtics beat Miami 97-81 in the NBA play-offs. The Heat still lead the Eastern Conference best-of-seven second round series over the defending East champions two games to one with game four tonight in Boston and game five in Miami on Wednesday. “We understand now how tough it is to take down a champion,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “They simply outplayed us.”