European football: Leverkusen go eight clear, Juve stumble and Barça get lucky | Bundesliga

Bayer Leverkusen scored as soon as in both half to battle previous hosts Heidenheim 2-1 on Saturday and open up an eight-point hole on the prime of the desk whereas additionally equalling a German report of 32 matches with out defeat throughout all competitions. The guests snatched the lead on the stroke of half-time with Jeremie Frimpong slotting in with a barely deflected effort.

Florian Wirtz hit the crossbar within the 77th minute however then delivered an excellent help three minutes later for Amine Adli to stab in and make it 2-0. Heidenheim diminished the deficit within the 87th via Tim Kleindienst. Xabi Alonso’s group have but to lose a match this season – each in home and European competitions – and have equalled Bayern Munich’s report run of 32 unbeaten matches from 2020. Leverkusen are prime on 58 factors, eight forward of Bayern, who tackle VfL Bochum on Sunday.

Robert Lewandowski’s penalty seven minutes into added time earned Barcelona a lucky 2-1 win at Celta Vigo in La Liga.

The Polish ahead gave Barça the lead with a shot from the sting of the field simply earlier than half-time however Iago Aspas levelled within the forty seventh minute with a deflected strike previous keeper Marc-André ter Stegen.

Celta took management and had been pushing for victory earlier than defender Fran Beltrán fouled Lamine Yamal within the 93rd minute and Lewandowski transformed on the second try. Vicente Guaita saved his first effort, however the VAR verify confirmed the keeper was in entrance of the goalline earlier than the ball left the spot and Lewandowski tucked away his second effort.

Marcos Llorente and Angel Correa each scored twice to assist a depleted Atlético Madrid thrash guests Las Palmas 5-0 in La Liga on Saturday, as Diego Simeone rested key gamers earlier than a midweek Champions League last-16 tie at Inter Milan.

Atlético moved as much as 51 factors. They’re 5 factors behind second-placed Girona and 10 adrift of leaders Actual Madrid, each of whom have a recreation in hand.

Barcekona’s gamers run to rejoice with Robert Lewandowski as Celta Vigo’s rue their luck. {Photograph}: High quality Sport Pictures/Getty Pictures

Regardless of French ahead Antoine Griezmann being on Simeone’s checklist of rested gamers, Atlético dominated proceedings and made probably the most of their probabilities in opposition to a normally stable Las Palmas who arrived within the capital with the second-best defensive report in La Liga with 20 targets conceded in 24 video games, behind solely Actual Madrid’s 15.

“What we rehearsed over the previous couple of days went very properly. We knew that Las Palmas performed the best way they all the time tried to play, and that’s how the primary targets got here – we robbed them of some balls that we had been in a position to convert,” Correa advised DAZN. “That made the sport simpler.”

Kylian Mbappé was left on the bench within the week he advised Paris Saint-Germain he was going to leave in the summer however got here on to seal victory in opposition to Nantes.

Lucas Hernandez opened the scoring with PSG’s first shot on course within the sixtieth minute – a long-range strike that the luckless Moussa Sissoko deflected into the highest nook. Mbappé doubled the lead from the penalty spot, the France striker’s twenty first league aim of the marketing campaign reinforcing his place as Ligue 1’s prime scorer this season. The win prolonged PSG’s unbeaten league run to 17 matches and left Luis Enrique’s aspect 14 away from second-placed Good, who misplaced 1-0 at Olympique Lyonnais on Friday.

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“It was a tricky first half however the angle of the gamers was glorious,” the supervisor stated. “Within the second half we had been higher with extra attacking presence within the field, it was tough however we had been lucky to attain the primary aim.”

In Serie A, Juventus’s fading title hopes suffered one other blow after they needed to come from behind twice to rescue a 2-2 draw at relegation-threatened Verona. Juve, who beforehand suffered back-to-back 1-0 defeats in opposition to Udinese and Inter, have now picked up solely two factors of their final 4 matches.

“We have now to enhance in selecting the final cross and put apart the post-Empoli dross,” Massimiliano Allegri advised DAZN. “That draw had an influence on the psychological stage, it’s no coincidence that two defeats and one other draw adopted. Till arithmetic offers us certainty, it might be a mistake to assume that we’ve got already certified for the subsequent Champions League.”

Napoli rescued some extent with a Ninetieth-minute aim by substitute Cyril Ngonge as they struggled to a 1-1 dwelling draw with mid-table Genoa. Napoli, who had been crushed 1-0 at Milan final weekend and have proven little of final season’s title-winning kind not too long ago, are actually winless in 4 of their six league video games because the begin of the 12 months.

Walter Mazzarri’s aspect provisionally moved as much as ninth within the standings on 36 factors with a recreation in hand, and are six factors behind fourth-placed Atalanta, who host Sassuolo in a while Saturday.

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