the times | Wednesday February 16 2022 2GM 63Sport
Champions League (8.0): Round of 16, first
leg Inter Milan v Liverpool; Red Bull Salzburg v
Bayern Munich.
Sky Bet Championship (7.45): Peterborough v
Reading. League One Sheff Wed v Accrington.Football fixtures
Cinch Scottish Premiership
Aberdeen (0) 1 St Johnstone(1) 1
Ferguson 71 (pen)
12,973Hendry 6P WD LF A GD Pts
Celtic.....................26 20 3 3 57 15 42 63
Rangers................26 19 5 2 55 21 34 62
Hearts...................26 12 7 7 35 27 8 43
Dundee United.. 26 9 6 11 21 27-6 33
Motherwell.......... 26 9 6 11 27 39 -12 33
St Mirren.............. 25711 7 25 34-9 32
Hibernian............. 26 8 7 11 26 30-4 31
Aberdeen............. 26 8 6 12 31 33-2 30
Livingston........... 26 8 6 12 25 33-8 30
Ross County....... 26 6 9 11 38 44-6 27
Dundee................. 255 6 14 21 42 -21 21
St Johnstone...... 26 4 8 14 15 31 -16 20
Cinch Scottish League Two Edinburgh City 1
Albion 2; Elgin 0 Annan 2; Stirling Albion 1
Forfar 1.
Cricket
Third T20i: Australia v Sri Lanka
Canberra (Australia won toss): Australia beat
Sri Lanka by six wicketsSri Lanka (balls)
P Nissanka c Sams b Maxwell 16 (21)
M D Gunathilaka c Hazlewood b Richardson 9(5)
K I C Asalanka c Wade b Richardson 6 (4)
B K G Mendis c and b Agar 4 (11)
†L D Chandimal b Richardson 25 (29)
*M D Shanaka not out 39 (38)
C Karunaratne c Inglis b Hazlewood 8 (11)
P V D Chameera not out 5 (2)
Extras (b 4, w 4, nb 1) 9
Total (6 wkts, 20 overs) 121
J D F Vandersay, M M Theekshana and
I D N Thushara did not bat.
Fall of wickets 1-17, 2-23, 3-38, 4-40, 5-87, 6-115.
Bowling Starc 4-0-30-0; Hazlewood 4-0-31-1;
Richardson 4-0-21-3; Sams 3-0-18-0; Agar
4-0-14-1; Maxwell 1-0-3-1.
Australia (balls)
B R McDermott c Asalanka b Theekshana 0(1)
A C Agar lbw b Theekshana 13 (13)
*A J Finch c Asalanka b Vandersay 35 (36)
G J Maxwell c Mendis b Theekshana 39 (26)
J P Inglis not out 21 (18)
M P Stoinis not out 12 (8)
Extras (lb 3, nb 1) 4
Total (4 wkts, 16.5 overs) 124†M S Wade, D R Sams, M A Starc, K W
Richardson and J R Hazlewood did not bat.
Fall of wickets 1-0, 2-26, 3-76, 4-102.
Bowling Theekshana 4-0-24-3; Thushara 1.1-0-
10-0; Karunaratne 2.5-0-22-0; Chameera 4-0-
22-0; Vandersay 4-0-32-1; Shanaka 0.5-0-11-0.
Umpires R Tucker and S Craig.
6 Australia lead five-match series 3-0
Tennis
ATP Qatar ExxonMobil Open
Doha: First round A Davidovich Fokina (Sp) bt
M Jaziri (Tun) 6-1, 6-3; A Bublik (Kaz) bt
J Kovalik (Slovakia) 6-2, 6-4; A Murray (GB) bt
T Daniel (Japan) 6-2, 6-2; E Ruusuvuori (Fin) bt
D Goffin (Bel) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1; E Ymer (Swe) bt
J Sousa (Por) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5; M Fucsovics (Hun) bt
L Harris (SA) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4); A Rinderknech (Fr)
bt J Vesely (Cz) 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4.
ATP Open 13
Marseilles: First round H Rune (Den) bt
Z Bergs (Bel) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4; P-H Herbert (Fr) bt
M Kukushkin (Kaz) 7-6 (7-5), 7-5; J-W Tsonga
(Fr) bt G Simon (Fr) 6-2, 6-4; H Gaston (Fr) bt
Moutet (Fr) 6-4, 6-4; R Safiullin (Russ) bt
A Popyrin (Aus) 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3);
T Machac (Cz) bt D Dzumhur (Bos) 1-6, 6-3, 6-1;
R Albot (Mold) bt D Novak (Austria) 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.ATP Delray Beach Open
Delray Beach, California: First round S
Johnson (US) bt K Anderson (SA) 6-2, 6-7 (5-7),
6-2; A Mannarino (Fr) bt L Broady (GB) 6-2, 6-3;
M Krueger (US) bt J Thompson (Aus) 6-2, 6-4;
D Istomin (Uzb) bt S Querrey (US) 6-1, 7-6 (7-5);
M Giron (US) bt T Sandgren (US) 7-5, 6-3.
WTA Dubai Duty Free Championship
First round E Svitolina (Ukr) bt M Sherif (Egypt)
6-2, 6-3; J Ostapenko (Lat) bt S Kenin (US) 6-1,
6-2; D Yastremska (Ukr) bt I-C Begu (Rom) 4-6,
6-2, 6-3; J Teichmann (Switz) bt E Mertens (Bel)
6-2, 6-4; G Ruse (Rom) bt P Badosa (Sp) 6-3, 5-7,
6-4; O Jabeur (Tun) bt V Zvonareva (Russ) 6-2,
2-6, 7-5; G Muguruza (Sp) bt K Siniakova (Cz)
7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 6-2; A Sabalenka (Bela) bt M
Kostyuk (Ukr) 6-4, 6-1; V Kudermetova (Russ)
bt V Azarenka (Bela) 6-3, 6-4; M Vondrousova
(Cz) bt D Collins (US) 2-6, 3-0 ret; V Gracheva
(Russ) bt A Tomljanovic (Aus) 6-1, 7-5.
Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing: Leading final positions:
Women: Downhill 1, C Suter (Switz) 1min
31.87sec; 2, S Goggia (It) 1:32.03; 3, N Delago (It)
1:32.44.Biathlon: Leading final positions: Men:
4 x 7.5km relay 1, Norway 1hr 19min 50.2sec; 2,
France 1:20:17.6; 3, ROC 1:20:35.5.
Bobsleighing: Leading final positions: Two-
man 1, F Friedrich (Ger) 3min 56.89sec; 2, J
Lochner (Ger) 3:57.38; 3, C Hafer (Ger) 3:58.58;
11, B Hall (GB) 3:59.92.
Curling: Round robin: Men ROC 5 Norway 12;
Switzerland 4 United States 7; Sweden 8
Denmark 3; Canada 8 China 3; Sweden 6 Great
Britain 7; Italy 10 United States 4; Norway 6
China 8; ROC 7 Canada 6. Women China 5 ROC
11; Sweden 9 Denmark 3; United States
Switzerland; Great Britain 10 Japan 4.
Freestyle skiing: Leading final positions:
Women: Freeski slopestyle 1, M Gremaud
(Switz) 86.56pts; 2, A Gu (China) 86.23; 3, K
Sildaru (Est) 82.06; 8, K Muir (GB) 71.30; 9, K
Summerhayes (GB) 64.75.
Ice hockey: Men: Play-offs: Slovakia 4
Germany 0; Denmark 3 Latvia 2; Czech
Republic 2 Switzerland 4; Canada 7 China 2.
Ice skating: Leading final positions: Women:
Single skating: Short program: 1, K Valieva
(ROC) 82.16pts; 2, A Shcherbakova (ROC)
80.20; 3, K Sakamoto (Japan) 79.84; 28, N
Mckay (GB) 52.54.Nordic combined: Leading final positions:
Individual: Gundersen large hill/10km: Cross-
country: 1, J Graabak (Nor) 27min 13.3sec; 2, J
Luraas Oftebro (Nor) 27:13.7; 3, A Watabe
(Japan) 27:13.9.
Snowboarding: Leading final positions: Big
air: Men 1, H Kunitake (Jpn) 84.00pts; 2, R
Gerard (US) 83.25; 3, M Roisland (Nor) 82.50.
Women 1, A Gasser (Austria) 185.50pts; 2, Z
Sadowski Synnott (NZ) 177.00; 3, K Murase
(Japan) 171.50.
Speed skating: Team pursuit: Men: Final A 1,
Norway 3min 38.08sec; 2, ROC 3:40.46. Final B
1, United States 3:38.81; 2, Netherlands 3:41.62.
Women: Final A 1, Canada 2:53.44 (Olympic
record); 2, Japan 3:04.47. Final B 1, Netherlands
2:56.86; 2, ROC 2:58.66.Gary Rowett could not hide his delight
as Millwall outplayed the high-flying
Queens Park Rangers at The Den last
night. Goals by Mason Bennett and
Tyler Burey proved the difference,
although Jed Wallace was pivotal
throughout the game.
The Millwall manager said that the
display was one of the best he has seen
during his time in charge of the club.
“It’s probably as good a performance
the team has put on since I’ve been
here, against a very good QPR side,”
Rowett said. “I’m a little bit
disappointed in some ways, we didn’t
win by more than two goals. But there
were some big performances tonight.
“Jed Wallace has got star quality, we
know that. Having him back in the
team and back fit is a big thing for us.”
It was almost the perfect start for the
hosts after 30 seconds, when Danny
McNamara fired over the bar after Jed
Wallace found him in space. Both sides
were hit by early injuries, with Lee Wal-
lace and Oliver Burke limping off for
the visitors and the hosts respectively.
Jed Wallace forced David Marshall to
turn away a shot, although Millwall
may have felt aggrieved to have gone in
scoreless at half-time.Players against
a World Cup
every two years
Martyn Ziegler Chief Sports ReporterThree quarters of professional footbal-
lers want to keep the World Cup every
four years — but more than half of
those in Africa want to see it more
frequently, according to a survey by the
international players’ union Fifpro.
The findings are another blow to
Fifa’s proposal to hold the tournament
biennially, with the union canvassing
the opinions of 1,055 players across six
continents.
Fifa has put forward a number of
former players from its “Legends”
programme to speak in favour of
increasing the frequency of the World
Cup but the opposition from active
players appears strong, particularly in
Europe and Asia.
The survey found that 77 per cent of
players from both Europe and Asia
prefer a World Cup every four years,
along with 63 per cent from North,
Central and South America.
In Africa, however, 49 per cent of
players preferred every four years, with
the remainder split between a two or
three-year cycle.
Fifpro said the findings showed there
was considerable demand, particularly
in smaller and medium-sized markets,
to develop national team competitions
separate from the World Cup.
The survey also found that most
players ranked the World Cup and their
domestic league as their favourite
competitions.Williamson
given England
armband back
Molly HudsonLeah Williamson will captain England
at the inaugural Arnold Clark Cup,
which is giving Sarina Wiegman’s side
the opportunity to test themselves
against top-level opposition before the
European Championship this summer.
Williamson will take the armband
temporarily as Wiegman delays nam-
ing a permanent leader, with Steph
Houghton out injured. Williamson led
England in Wiegman’s first four games,
before suffering an injury.
Another potential candidate was
Lucy Bronze, the full back, but she
missed the camps before Christmas
while recovering from knee surgery,
and Wiegman is keen to lessen her load.
England will play the Olympic gold
medallists, Canada, in Middlesbrough
tomorrow, before facing Spain in
Norwich on Sunday and Germany in
Wolverhampton on Wednesday.Robert DunfordWallace’s ‘star quality’
gives edge to Millwall
Millwall
Bennett 48, Burey 64QPR
2
0
It took only three minutes after the
restart for the home side to deservedly
take the lead. A long cross into the area
by Jed Wallace found Scott Malone,
who delivered the ball first time across
the face of goal for Bennett to finish.
The home side continued to threaten
and doubled their lead on 64 minutes.
Shaun Hutchinson took the ball and
passed to Jed Wallace, who back-heeled
the ball into the path of Burey. The
midfielder found enough space and
time to run through on goal and beat
the stretching Marshall.
Despite Maikel Kieftenbeld hacking
a Yoann Barbet header off the line, it
was a disappointing display by QPR,
who are chasing a play-off spot, and
their manager, Mark Warburton, ad-
mitted that his side were second best.
“I felt we didn’t do the basics well
tonight,” he said. “I thought we started
off OK, for the first 10 to 15 minutes, but
then we started to lose the duels.
“We didn’t move the ball as well as we
could do. We didn’t do enough to win
the game. We never really tested their
keeper, it was a bit better towards the
end but by that stage it was too late.”Agüero’s fears for his heart
Sergio Agüero has revealed his fears
that his heart “doesn’t work properly”
and that he may never be able to sprint
again.
The former Manchester City and
Argentina striker retired at the age of 33
in December because of a heart condi-
tion. After joining Barcelona last sum-
mer, Agüero experienced chest pains
and breathing issues during the first
half of the Spanish side’s 1-1 home
draw with Alavés on October 30.
A series of tests showed that
the cause was a heart
arrhythmia. His announce-
ment that he was giving
up the game came dur-
ing a very emotional
press conference.
Speaking about his general
health on a Twitch stream, Agüero
admitted that he was now unable
to sprint without running out of
breath.
“If I try to play football now, I
run out of breath. Sometimes Iwonder if I will ever be able to sprint
again,” he said. “I just feel like my heart
doesn’t work properly.”
Agüero joined City from Atletico
Madrid in 2011 and scored 260 goals in
390 games for them, becoming their all-
time leading scorer and winning five
Premier League titles, one FA Cup
and six League Cups. His first
season at the Etihad Stadium
climaxed with arguably the
most thrilling finish to a
Premier League title race.
His stoppage-time win-
ner against Queens Park
Rangers denied City’s
arch-rivals Manchester
United at the death and gave
City their first title triumph
since 1968. It will for ever be
known as the Agüero moment.
However, after leaving Man-
chester for Barcelona, injuries
and health problems restricted the
number of appearances he made for
the La Liga club to five, with the striker
scoring only one goal.
He also made 101 appearances for
Argentina, scoring 41 goals.Agüero retired in December after
experiencing breathing issuesMillwall (3-4-1-2): B Bialkowski — S Hutchinson,
J Cooper, M Wallace — D McNamara, B Mitchell,
M Kieftenbeld, S Malone (A Pearce 81min) —
J Wallace – M Bennett (G Savlle 88), O Burke
(T Burey 28). Booked J Wallace, Burey.
QPR (3-4-1-2): D Marshall — R Dickie, J Dunne,
Y Barbet — A Adomah (L Amos 75mins),
S Johansen (C Austin 75), S Field, L Wallace (M
Odubajo 20) — I Chair — C Willock, L Dykes.
Booked Dickie.
Referee J Linington.PETER POWELL/REUTERSDunk’s red after
VAR intervention
Anthony Elanga took the ball
from Lewis Dunk, who brought
him down, so the question was
whether he was through on goal.
Referee Peter Bankes showed a
yellow but VAR suggested he
reconsider and after looking at
the pitchside monitor concluded
Adam Webster was not near
enough to cover and Dunk’s
yellow became a red.goal delights Rangnick
for a foul on Anthony Elanga, because
he did not appear to be denying a
goal-scoring opportunity, with his
team-mate Adam Webster apparently
offering cover.
“It was a yellow card live,” Potter said.
“Webster was round on the cover. It is
not clear and obvious that he would not
get there. I don’t understand the inter-
vention. I’d like to see some stats
because as soon as the referee goes to
the monitor it is only going to go one
way, and that is how it is.”
United players surrounded the refer-
ee aggressively before he consulted
with VAR and changed his mind,
although Potter refused to criticise his
opponents. “I think you’re asking the
question so you are answering it,” he
said. “I don’t blame them, I’m not being
critical, it is what it is. You expect that
reaction, they have got to do their bit for
their team. Then you need the referee
and VAR to make calls independent of
external pressure, which isn’t easy.”The victory, United’s seventh in 14
league and cup games under Rangnick,
also broke an alarming trend in the past
three games of United scoring first,
dominating first-half play and then
conceding second-half equalisers.
That pattern led Rangnick to label
his side “Jekyll and Hyde” before
kick-off, and while the result was better,
the flaw remained.
“It was different from the last three
games, because in the last three we
were Dr Jekyll in the first half and this
time in the second,” he said.
“It was better if we can win the game
in the end and today it was about get-
ting the three points. We should have
killed off the game much earlier, should
have been 3-0 or 4-0. We were not le-
thal enough in those moments to kill
the game off and in the last five minutes
it is dangerous, even against ten men.”
The Brighton head coach, Graham
Potter, felt aggrieved by the dismissal of
Dunk, who was initially shown a yellow