Articles by Pa Sport Staff

Technology

Como keeper Jean Butez shines as Napoli held to goalless draw

Como keeper Jean Butez proved unbeatable as reigning Serie A champions Napoli were held to a goalless draw at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. The 30-year-old Frenchman pulled off a string of saves to frustrate former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay in particular as Cesc Fabregas’ men emerged from their trip to Naples with a creditable point having extended their league run without defeat to eight games. Indeed, they might have collected all three had Vanja Milinkovic-Savic not saved Alvaro Morata’s first-half penalty to at least send his side into Tuesday night’s Champions League clash with Eintracht Frankfurt with something to show for their efforts. Antonio Conte’s men lead second-placed Roma, who face AC Milan at the San Siro on Sunday evening, by just a point and could find themselves toppled before the play again. Amir Rrahmani headed wide from an early Leonardo Spinazzola cross as the hosts set off in determined fashion, but Milinkovic-Savic had to save from Maxence Caqueret as the visitors responded with Nico Paz prominent. Milinkovic-Savic found himself in the thick of the action with 24 minutes gone when, with Como pressing, he was adjudged to have brought down striker Morata inside the box and referee Luca Zufferli pointed to the spot. However, the Serbia international atoned for his error when he dived to his left to save Morata’s penalty. McTominay forced two saves from Butez, the second of them from all of 35 yards, with the home side making a fresh push. McTominay saw a third attempt blocked before Eljif Elmas, who had earlier replaced the injured Billy Gilmour, called upon Butez once again as the hosts finished the first half on the front foot. Miguel Gutierrez fired over for the hosts as the second half got under way, but McTominay went much closer with a 55th-minute attempt from distance. Matteo Politano did test Butez twice inside three minutes with first Frank Anguissa and then McTominay providing the ammunition as Napoli started to turn the screw. Morata and Jacobo Ramon both threatened with Como fighting for the upper hand, but Butez had to deny McTominay once again with 20 minutes remaining as the leaders continued to look the more likely to break the deadlock. Butez kept Rasmus Hojlund’s header out from an 80th-minute Politano cross and then collected Alessandro Buongiorno’s 89th-minute effort. However, there was no separating the teams as the final whistle brought on end to a hard-fought, but ultimately fruitless encounter.

Technology

Oliver Glasner hails set-piece preparation as Crystal Palace see off Brentford

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner believed getting on top of the “set-play battle” was key to his side earning victory against Brentford. The Eagles had not won in their three previous games in the Premier League but Jean-Philippe Mateta’s eighth goal of the season set them on their way against the Bees, whose captain Nathan Collins put into his own net to give them breathing room. It was then pretty comfortable for Palace as they saw off their fellow Carabao Cup quarter-finalists to rise to seventh in the table. Glasner said: “We didn’t have a lot of time to train because we played Wednesday evening at Liverpool, coming home at three in the morning. “Thursday was just recovery and yesterday we trained 25 minutes on the pitch then 15 minutes just defending throw-ins and attacking throw-ins because we knew it would be a topic today. “Credit to my assistants who prepared all the clips and set up how we defended it, and also in attack so we could score from it. “We spoke about how it could be a set-play battle and at the end I think we won the set-play battle because it’s why we could win the game, a very good, important win today. “We use the minutes we are on the pitch more and more for set-plays, we’re always training it and I think it would be really stupid from us if we don’t train it.” Palace were in front after 30 minutes when Daichi Kamada’s free-kick was nodded across by Jefferson Lerma and Mateta’s header was lofted perfectly into the top corner. The Eagles were then gifted a second goal in the 52nd minute when Lerma’s long throw glanced off Collins’ head and drifted into his own net. Brentford boss Keith Andrews said: “I thought it was a tight game, clearly a game where set-pieces were very, very prevalent in how the result went. “In terms of our performance, did we reach the heights of recent weeks individually, collectively? No. But having said that, I felt like there wasn’t a lot in the game. “Going into this game, you know Crystal Palace are going to be – last season was the same – pretty effective from set-pieces. “You’ve got to earn the right against them in general play, you’ve got to earn the right at set-pieces, and clearly the first goal for us wasn’t one we’ll be happy with. “[Losing] first contact, second contact, you can’t quite allow that against a team of that physical nature. “No blame at all attached to Nathan [for the own goal]. Everything he’s done from the second I’ve been in the building as a set-piece coach and the head coach has been magnificent.”

‘Wait and see’ – Alex Carey shrugs off Stuart Broad’s Ashes jab

The former England bowler helped crank up the war of words before the first Test starts in Perth on November 21.