dimanche 15 mars 2015
West Indies elect to field in bid to beat UAE and rain
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 West Indies captain Jason Holder The remnants of Cyclone Pam are expected to sweep down the east coast of New Zealand's North Island later in the day with rain expected in the afternoon. Jason Holder's team must beat UAE, and preferably by a big margin, at McLean Park to give themselves any chance of making the quarter-finals. Pakistan and Ireland, who are both on six points, clash later in Adelaide with the winner of that game finishing third in Pool B. The loser could still advance if West Indies lose or the match is washed out. Chris Gayle, who has had a back injury, was ruled out with Johnson Charles joining Dwayne Smith at the top of the batting order. Gayle scored the first World Cup double century against Zimbabwe last month and his aggressive style will be missed as West Indies try to chase down a target before the rain arrives. UAE were forced into one change with Fahad Alhashmi suffering a bad knee injury in their last match against South Africa in Wellington on Thursday and left armer Manjula Guruge coming back into the side. Swapnil Patil also resumes wicketkeeping duties from Saqlain Haider while Nasir Aziz replaces Kamran Shazad. West Indies - Dwayne Smith, Johnson Charles, Marlon Samuels, Jonathan Carter, Denesh Ramdin, Lendl Simmons, Darren Sammy, Andre Russell, Jason Holder (captain), Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach UAE - Amjad Ali, Andri Berenger, Krishna Chandran, Khurram Khan, Shaiman Anwar, Swapnil Patel, Amjad Javed, Mohammad Naveed, Mohammad Tauqir, Nasir Aziz, Manjula Guruge. | |||||
England beat Scots but could rue mistakes
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 England's George Ford scores a try against Scotland After Wales had beaten Ireland in Cardiff earlier, England knew a big win against a team they had not lost to at home for 32 years would put them in pole position on points difference but they made hard work even of securing victory, having somehow trailed 13-10 at halftime despite largely dominating. Second-half tries by George Ford and Jack Nowell, added to Jonathan Joseph's score after five minutes, did just enough to secure the win. Yet there was precious little for the Twickenham crowd to get excited about after they had arrived with their hopes revived by Wales's win. England lead the table with a points difference of plus 37 and complete their campaign at home to France in the last match of next week's 'Super Saturday' finale. By then, they will know exactly what they have to do to take the title after Wales (currently plus 12) have played Italy in Rome and Ireland (plus 33) have faced Scotland in Edinburgh. It is a scenario that will dismay and baffle England fans following an opening 15 minutes when they constantly tore through the visiting defence but had only Joseph's nicely created fourth try of the championship to savour amid a host of blown opportunities. They paid for that profligacy with Scotland levelling in the 22nd minute when Mark Bennett scored in their first serious attack and strong Scottish pressure earned two Greig Laidlaw penalties that gave them the improbable interval lead. The second half began with more English pressure and a try, this time as Ford opened a hole with a nice dummy. Mike Brown thought he had scored another but it was ruled out for James Haskell's careless forward pass before Ford struck a post with an easy penalty. England finally crossed again when winger Nowell slipped over in the corner but Ford's missed conversion summed up their accident-prone day as they seek their first title since 2011. "We left a few points out there, which is frustrating, but at least we were creating opportunities," Ford told the BBC. "We just need to tidy ourselves up a bit." | |||||
Welsh win down to character and maturity - Gatland
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 Wales head coach Warren Gatland The visitors, chasing the game after conceding an early 12 points, threw everything at Wales but their grand slam hopes were extinguished by a dogged red line of defence. Joe Schmidt's Ireland enjoyed two-thirds of possession, made more than twice the amount of metres than their opponents and comfortably won more rucks and mauls. But Wales stood up to the second-half onslaught, flinging bodies around with abandon and celebrating every stop, lineout stolen or blow of referee Wayne Barnes's whistle in their favour with fist pumps and pats on exhausted backs. "We had to dig deep, win a couple of games away from home (against Scotland and France) and get ourselves back in this competition. We've done that. I'm very proud of the effort over the last three games," Gatland told reporters. The hosts lost prop Samson Lee to a potentially serious Achilles injury and fellow front rower Gethin Jenkins did not emerge for the second half after pulling his hamstring but those setbacks, Gatland said, showed the character of his side. "(Captain) Sam (Warburton) was outstanding and a lot of our players ran themselves into the ground. The result could have gone either way. Ireland did not lie down and kept coming at us. "The pleasing thing for me, particularly in the last couple of games, has been our maturity and keeping our composure." An aerial bombardment contributed much to Ireland's win over England last time out but flyhalf Johnny Sexton kicked noticeably less this time, especially after Wales comfortably dealt with his early up-and-unders. Gatland said 12 unanswered points by Wales forced Ireland to rethink their kicking strategy. "It probably put a bit of pressure on them, they had to start playing with ball in hand and play a bit of rugby," he added. Coach Schmidt was left to rue a hesitant start as Ireland's run of 10 straight wins came to an end. "We allowed Wales to control the first quarter with territory and possession," the New Zealander said. "In the second half we put some good phases together, made a few linebreaks and got in behind them pretty well. "But they scrambled and defended really well ... they have massive charcter. They are very organised." | |||||
Morata strike inches Juventus closer to title
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 Juventus' Alvaro Morata (L) celebrates with teammate Claudio Marchisio after scoring against Palermo Juve's first triumph away from home in over two months gives them 64 points from 27 games, while second-placed AS Roma, who host Sampdoria on Monday, trail on 50 from 26 games. "One less win needed to win the league," Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri shrugged in an interview with Sky Sports Italia. "Probably six more victories and a few draws should be enough." Spanish international Morata came on in the 60th minute, replacing compatriot Fernando Llorente in a match that appeared to be heading towards a goalless stalemate. Yet 10 minutes later, he received a long pass from Claudio Marchisio, kept defender Sinisa Andelkovic at a distance and rifled home an unstoppable left-foot shot from just outside the area. "He scored a marvellous goal," Allegri said. "I love 1-0 games. For the second straight time, we finished with a clean sheet. I'm very pleased." Andrea Barzagli was back in Juve's starting line-up after playing his first five minutes of the season against Sassuolo on Monday. The former Palermo defender, playing alongside Italian international team mates Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, looked in good form after the heel injury which has sidelined him since last summer's World Cup. "It's very important to have Barzagli back," Allegri beamed. "We'll see how he feels tomorrow but the first game is usually easier than the second." Juventus visit Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday in the Champions League last 16 second leg, having won the opening match 2-1. "It'll be much tougher in Germany," Allegri concluded. "Scoring one goal won't be enough, we'll probably need two to advance." In a match affecting the other end of the table, a late goal by Matias Vecino earned Empoli a 1-1 draw and pushed Cagliari closer to Serie B. A curled shot by Joao Pedro in the 20th minute allowed the home side to pull ahead but Vecino's goal with 40 seconds left in stoppage time denied Cagliari manager Zdenek Zeman, in his second stint with the Sardinians, his first home win of the season. It keeps Cagliari in the drop zone on 21 points, three adrift of 17th placed Atalanta. | |||||
Benfica take big step closer to title
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 SL Benfica's Eliseu celebrates a goal against Sporting de Braga A 60,000-plus crowd witnessed a feisty start with visiting keeper Matheus repeatedly called into action as Benfica tried to make an early breakthrough. That it did not come until the 21st minute was down mainly to a stout rearguard action from fourth-placed Braga. The right foot of Jonas eventually did the damage with a well-placed shot zipping past Matheus from outside the box. A last-ditch goalline clearance by Aderlan Santos then prevented Pizzi from notching a second Benfica goal before the break. The second half continued in a similar vein with Braga unable to make any meaningful impression in attack. As the pressure on them grew, Tiago Gomes's red card on 58 minutes for a rash tackle on the lively Eduardo Salvio made Braga's task harder. Benfica made it 2-0 with 13 minutes to go thanks to a piledriver from left back Eliseu. "Once again the supporters have shown what it is like to have a proper team on the pitch and one in the stands," said Benfica coach Jorge Jesus after his side went seven points clear at the top with nine matches left. | |||||
Toyota joins Olympic sponsor programme
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 leading Olympic sponsor in a partnership deal running until 2024, the IOC said on Friday. The agreement was announced in Tokyo between International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach and Toyota president Akio Toyoda, the IOC said. Toyota joins The Olympic Partner (TOP) programme in the mobility sector to include vehicles and mobility services. It becomes the IOC's 12th TOP Partner and the third company to have committed through the 2024 Olympics, including the 2020 Games in Tokyo "This is a very symbolic day," Bach said. "It is the first time in the successful history of the TOP programme that we have had a mobility category." Toyota is the third Japanese company to become a global Olympic sponsor after Panasonic and Bridgestone. Toyota will join the TOP Programme in 2017, but will have marketing rights in Japan with immediate effect. The IOC said the deal was in line with Olympic reforms under the Agenda 2020 programme approved by the IOC in Decembver in which sustainability is a key element. Toyota will help to "provide sustainable mobility solutions for the Games to help with safer, more efficient mobility, including intelligent transport systems, urban traffic systems and vehicle-to-vehicle communications systems." The partnership "will help deliver a mobility legacy in the host cities and countries," it said. | |||||
Fifth seed Nishikori reaches third round at Indian Wells
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 Kei Nishikori (JPN) during his 2nd round match against Ryan Harrison Seeded fifth for the elite ATP Masters 1000 event, Nishikori broke his opponent five times while losing his own serve on three occasions on a hot afternoon at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden before sealing the win in just under an hour and a half. Nishikori, who became the first Asian male to reach a grand slam singles final with a storming run at the U.S. Open last year, had beaten Harrison in their only other meeting, in Memphis earlier this year. "It was a different situation (in Memphis), an indoor game," the 25-year-old Japanese, ranked fifth in the world, said courtside. "I knew it would be tough today, I knew he was playing good. "It was a bit up and down but I played well in the second set. I broke him many times and that was a key for the match." Nishikori, who lost to Marin Cilic in last year's U.S. Open final before ending a landmark season with four ATP World Tour titles, will next play Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, who beat Australia's James Duckworth 6-2 7-6. In other matches, 10th-seeded Croatian Cilic, who has been troubled by a shoulder injury, was upset 6-4 6-4 by Argentine Juan Monaco while big-serving South African Kevin Anderson beat Federico Delbonis of Argentina 7-5 6-4. Later in the day, fourth-seeded Englishman Andy Murray was due to play Canadian Vasek Pospisil before Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic launches his bid for a fourth title at Indian Wells by taking on Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. | |||||
Westermann faces pause with knee injury
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 Hamburg SV's Heiko Westermann team's next Bundesliga match on Friday after being injured in Saturday's 3-0 defeat Hoffenheim. "He has taken a knock on the knee and will possibly miss out next week," coach Josef Zinnbauer said after the match. Hamburg will also be without goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny in their next game against Hertha Berlin after he was sent off in the first half of the loss to Hoffenheim. | |||||
Bolt cruises to win in 400 metres race
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 Jamaica's Usain Bolt Bolt, the world record holder at 100 and 200 metres, used the race as part of his build-up for the upcoming season, where he plans to defend his sprint titles at the IAAF world championships in Beijing in August. "Give thanks for an injury free 400m run," Bolt, who was slowed by injuries last year, said on his Twitter account. The six-time Olympic gold medallist came off the final curve comfortably ahead of the field and his time was slightly faster than his last effort at the distance, 46.44 seconds in 2013, but more than a second slower than his personal best of 45.28 in 2007. In his only other race of the year, Bolt's Racers Lions 4x100 metres relay team wound up second in the Gibson McCook Relays on Feb. 28. | |||||
Pennetta launches title defence with nervy win
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 Flavia Pennetta of Italy in action against Madison Brengle of USA The 33-year-old from Brindisi, best known for her doubles prowess, broke her opponent once in a tightly contested opening set and twice more in the second to wrap up victory in 75 minutes at a sun-drenched Indian Wells Tennis Garden. "I was nervous in the beginning," Pennetta said in a courtside interview after ending the match with a rasping forehand crosscourt winner. "Last year here, I played so well and I have such good memories. This morning I woke up and I was a little bit shaky. So I was trying to be focused on what I had to do, and not rush. "That was important today," said the Italian, a winner of 10 WTA titles who had lost to Brengle in straight sets in their only previous meeting eight years ago. Pennetta, seeded 15th this year, claimed the prestigious BNP Paribas Open crown 12 months ago by crushing Poland's ailing Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2 6-1 in the final. As Radwanska struggled with a knee injury, the Italian triumphed in just over an hour in the California desert. Pennetta will next meet either American Taylor Townsend or Australian Samantha Stosur who were scheduled to play later on Saturday. In other matches, fifth-seeded Serb Ana Ivanovic, the 2008 champion here, hammered Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva 6-3 6-1 while Swiss Belinda Bencic beat Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia 6-2 7-6. Later on Saturday, Russian world number two Maria Sharapova was due to take on Belgian Yanina Wickmayer before sixth seed Eugenie Bouchard of Canada faces Czech qualifier Lucie Hradecka in an evening encounter. | |||||
FIFA ethics committee clears German football president in pay probe
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 President of the German Football Association (DFB) Wolfgang Niersbach Niersbach has been cleared by FIFA of any ethics violations in connection with his pay and pension. It follows a complaint filed by FIFA executive committee member Theo Zwanziger, Niersbach's predecessor as DFB president. A statement Friday by football's world governing body said a preliminary investigation by the FIFA ethics committee "determined that no provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics had been violated in the case in question." The ethics committee had examined Niersbach's pension income and remuneration arrangements as requested by Zwanziger on February 10, the statement said. As a result of the investigation "the investigatory chamber has accordingly closed its file on the matter," it said. Niersbach has been president of the German federation since Zwanziger stepped down from the post after eight years in 2012. He is seeking to replace Zwanziger on the FIFA executive committee when Zwanziger stands down on May 29 at the FIFA congress. Nierbach is expected to win the backing of the UEFA congress which meets on March 24 in Vienna. The DFB in June had called on Zwanziger to resign from FIFA's executive committee after he had questioned Niersbach's earnings. In a statement at the time the DFB said Zwanziger had made "clearly personally motivated and completely untenable statements" regarding Niersbach. | |||||
New Zealand make first change for Bangladesh clash
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 New Zealand bowler Mitchell McClenaghan McClenaghan's height and aggression will be an ideal complement to the speed and swing of Tim Southee and Trent Boult, and captain Brendon McCullum immediately opted to field after winning the toss in conditions which will suit the quick bowlers on a hot, steamy day after steady rain soaked Seddon Park on Thursday. Bangladesh omitted captain Mashrafe Mortaza, who led his team to an historic win over England on Monday. Mortaza has been suffering from a sore throat but, perhaps more importantly, could have missed the quarter-finals if his team were fined for a second time for failing to bowl their 50 overs in the allotted time. All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will captain the team. New Zealand are top of Pool A and assured of a home quarter-final in Wellington while Bangladesh grabbed the final knockout place with their upset victory over England. Bangladesh have won their last seven matches against New Zealand but all those matches were staged in favourable conditions at home. They have yet to win a one-day international in New Zealand. New Zealand remain the form team of the tournament with captain McCullum, leading from the front as opener, possessing the highest strike rate. Boult and Southee are second and third in the wicket-taking list with left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori in fifth place. The New Zealanders have dismissed each of their previous five opponents within 50 overs. Coach Chandika Hathurusingha said on Thursday the side were playing with renewed self-belief. "We are not afraid to fail," he said. "I think if we are paralysed by failure, we are not pushing ourselves, that's what we have talked about throughout this World Cup. | |||||
Arsenal give Wenger hope of overturning Monaco deficit
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 Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger The Londoners will again need to be at their attacking best in the French principality on Tuesday after Monaco bullied the their way to a 3-1 win in last month's last-16 first leg tie. "We have a massive challenge but we will give absolutely everything to try and go through," manager Wenger told Sky Sports television. "(A poor pitch) is one of the problems, there is a lot of rain down there and when it rains, it rains. It's not absolutely fantastic but we won't have any excuses, they are favourites now but we can reverse it. "We just have to make sure the spirit, the belief and the desire is there." Arsenal, in third spot and hoping to qualify for the Champions League next season for the 16th successive campaign, have a four-point lead over fourth-placed Manchester United who host Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday. Goals from Olivier Giroud, Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini against West Ham earned Wenger's men an eighth straight home league win for the first time since they moved to the Emirates in 2006. After knocking Manchester United out of the FA Cup on Monday, victory for Arsenal capped a fine week for Wenger and the Frenchman was pleased with their attacking swagger. "It was a good performance, we were weaker at the start of the second half but overall we kept going and created many chances," he said. "It was a convincing win and a very important one as well. That's the kind of game we want to play. When it doesn't work it is questioned but that is the game we love." | |||||
No pressure a key for French Open success, says Djokovic
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 Novak Djokovic of Serbia responds to questions during a press conference World number one Djokovic has twice been beaten in the French Open final and believes he can end his barren run on the clay surface by reining back any hint of self-imposed pressure or specific goal-setting. "The difference in my approach to my goals and priorities between now and a couple of years ago is that I don't put too much pressure on myself," Djokovic said on Thursday at Indian Wells where he is seeking a fourth BNP Paribas Open title. "I don't want to take away too much energy by spending time on thinking, 'Will I make it or not?' The French Open is the grand slam that I have never won but I have had a lot of good tournaments there. "I have played a couple of times the finals and got always a step closer. I use these losses as a way to grow mentally, physically and emotionally and as a player in general to understand what I need to do better the next year." Djokovic, who last month won a record fifth Australian Open title in the professional era to increase his career tally to eight grand slam crowns, feels he can only benefit from competing at the French Open with more personal freedom. "This kind of approach allows me to enjoy my time there instead of going to the clay in Paris thinking, 'Will I make it this time or not?'," the 27-year-old Serb told reporters in the interview room at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. "Of course, the season starts much better for you if you win a grand slam in Australia and that was the case for me this year," Djokovic said, prompting loud roars of laughter. "I have a strong wind at my back and a confidence that hopefully I can carry into these two large tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami, and then take it from there." Djokovic, the top seed at Indian Wells, will launch his bid for a fourth BNP Paribas Open title in the second round on Saturday. | |||||
Bayern to rest Neuer away to Werder Bremen
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 Munich's coach Pep Guardiola and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer Munich for the Bundesliga fixture against Werder Bremen on Saturday, various media reported Friday. Neuer is reportedly not injured but has been given a break, reports from Sky television and the Bild newspaper say. In his absence either Pepe Reina or Tom Starke will make a first competitive appearance this season. League leaders Bayern are without injured wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben for the match at in-form Bremen but Philipp Lahm is in the squad once more and could feature as a substitute. | |||||
Pellegrini not ready to concede City's title race is over
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 Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini The result was a major blow for the champions who are chasing a third title in four seasons but remain second behind Chelsea on 58 points with nine matches to play. The full repercussions of Saturday's defeat may not be felt until Sunday when Chelsea, who have 63 points and two matches in hand, play Southampton at Stamford Bridge. "When you have a mathematical chance you have a chance to win the title," Pellegrini told Sky Sports. "The reality is that it's more difficult to do so now." City were beaten despite having 71 percent possession at Turf Moor and 21 goal attempts compared to Burnley's 29 percent and 10 attempts. But City's failure to find the net in the league for only the third time this season, and a wayward performance from usually influential midfielder Yaya Toure, swung the points Burnley's way. The visitors had a strong claim for a penalty denied by referee Andre Marriner when Pablo Zabaleta appeared to be felled by Ben Mee late in the game while Sergio Aguero wasted a golden chance with a header with time running out. Even the introduction of Frank Lampard, for his 600th Premier League appearance late in the game, only Ryan Giggs has played more, Wilfried Bony and Stefan Jovetic failed to turn the match away from the home side who had not beaten City in 13 league or cup matches since October 1974. Recent media reports have suggested that all is not well in City's camp with allegations of a training ground bustup, and Pellegrini did admit there were problems. "Of course we're doing something wrong as we are not winning the games we normally do" he said. Two defeats in their last three league games proves his point and if they are to retain any hopes of another title they need to rediscover their form quickly and hope Chelsea lose theirs | |||||
USOC unconcerned about drop in support for Boston bid
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 Boston was unveiled as the surprise choice over two-time host Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington in January and enthusiasm for staging an Olympics has eroded dramatically since then. A poll last month found more Boston residents opposed to the Games than for hosting them. Results of the survey, conducted Feb. 12-15 and reported in the Boston Globe, indicated 46 percent of Boston-area residents against the bid. That represents a significant drop from a January poll that had 51 percent supporting the bid and 33 percent against. USOC CEO Scott Blackmun admitted he would like to see stronger backing but with the race to secure the 2024 Games just underway, he was confident Bostonians would eventually get behind the effort. "Do we wish the approval ratings were higher than 46 percent, absolutely we do but candidly it is much more important those numbers be high two-and-a-half years from now," Blackmun told reporters following a board of directors meeting in Washington. "We have plenty of time to allow this trajectory to unfold and complete confidence in Boston 2024's ability to do that. "What we need to do first and foremost is assure the people of Boston that this is a fiscally responsible bid." A decision on the 2024 host will be made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in mid-2017. When selecting a host city, the IOC is sensitive to protests, not wanting to put the Games where they are not wanted. While there is no major worry at the moment, a prolonged and coordinated campaign against staging the 2024 showcase could seriously undermined USOC plans. "People of Boston are really smart, they are asking some really good questions and I think after this process has run its course, people of Boston will have confidence on the most important issue of all here -- can we do this without tapping into the resources of the city of Boston," said Blackmun. Boston will be up against Rome and Germany, which has announced that it will bid through Berlin or Hamburg. A string of potential hosts, including Istanbul, Paris, Doha and a city from Africa, are also considering bids. Cities have until September to put in a bid. | |||||
Espanyol's Sergio Garcia charged with match-fixing
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 RCD Espanyol's striker Sergio Garcia with match-fixing by a court in Pamplona investigating last season's 1-1 draw between Espanyol and Osasuna. Garcia, 31 - who played for Spain twice in 2008 - appeared in court Friday in Pamplona to answer the charges. He has been accused of arranging the draw with Osasuna players Patxi Punal and Damia Abella. According to sports daily AS, former Osasuna director Angel Vizcay has already confessed the fix to the authorities. Vizcay was arrested last week along with fellow former Osasuna directors Txuma Peralta and Miguel Archanco. The court in Pamplona is also reportedly investigating an attempt by Osasuna to bribe Real Betis last season. Betis and Osasuna failed to avoid relegation to the second division, while Espanyol managed to stay in the top flight. | |||||
Leverkusen crush Stuttgart 4-0 as Atletico await
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 Leverkusens Josip Drmic celebrates after scoring Leverkusen, who travel to Atletico Madrid for their Champions League last-16 second leg next week, converted their first two chances of the game by netting twice in four minutes after Stuttgart had squandered the better scoring chances. Wendell made the most of a defensive misunderstanding to drill in from 15 metres in the 32nd minute with Drmic, gradually improving after a mediocre first season at Leverkusen, doubling their lead with a powerful close-range header. Germany international Karim Bellarabi then struck early in the second half, weaving his way into the box and slotting in from a tight angle for his 10th league goal before Drmic grabbed his second in an almost identical solo move. The result lifted Leverkusen into third on 42 points, one more than Borussia Moenchengladbach, who host Hanover 96 on Sunday. For Stuttgart, who were the better side for much of the first half, defeat means they are anchored in last place, two points behind 17th-placed Freiburg and five from safety. It could also spell the end of coach Huub Stevens' second spell at the 2007 Bundesliga champions, with the Dutchman being granted a stay of execution last week after a goalless draw against Hertha Berlin. Leaders Bayern Munich can open up a 14-point gap if they beat hosts Werder Bremen on Saturday, with second-placed VfL Wolfsburg in action against Freiburg on Sunday | |||||
Valencia leapfrog Atletico into third in La Liga
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Valencia CF's midfielder Dani Parejo (C) celebrates after scoring the first goal against Deportivo La Coruna Valencia climbed above champions Atletico Madrid into provisional third place in La Liga when a Dani Parejo penalty and a Paco Alcacer strike earned a 2-0 win at home to Deportivo La Coruna on Friday.
Valencia missed out on a European place last season but are making a strong push to secure a lucrative berth in the Champions League for next term and have won five and drawn one of their last six outings in Spain's top flight.
They have 57 points from 27 matches, two ahead of Atletico, who play at Espanyol on Saturday.
"Deportivo have a good team despite their position (of 16th) in the league," Alcacer said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster Canal plus.
"We played a pretty complete game and managed to do the most important thing which was to get the three points," he added.
Barcelona (62 points) can stretch their advantage over second-placed Real Madrid (61) to four points with a win at Eibar on Saturday. Real host Levante on Sunday.
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