The Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic scored with 16 minutes left to secure a 1-0 win at local rivals Torino in Serie A after both teams struggled to create clearcut chances.
The pressure was on for Juve and their manager, Massimiliano Allegri, after a 2-0 Champions League loss at Maccabi Haifa on Tuesday, but their lacklustre performance in the first half gave the injury-hit visitors little cause for optimism.
The first 45 minutes of the Turin derby was a tame affair with little to cheer for either side. Torino had half-chances around the box but they were snuffed out by the Juve defence. Vlahovic had the first chance of the match after 34 minutes but his fellow Serb Vanja Milinkovic-Savic made an impressive save and then kept out Manuel Locatelli’s effort.
Vlahovic lost his marker in the 74th minute and tapped the ball in from close range after an assist from Danilo, securing a much-needed win for Allegri’s team who are now seventh with 16 points from 10 games. Torino are 11th with 11 points.
A brilliant goal enabled Atalanta to recover from going behind at home to Sassuolo to win 2-1. The victory moved Atalanta a point clear of Napoli, who host Bologna on Sunday, at the top of the table.
Ademola Lookman scored what proved to be the winner 30 seconds after the break. The winger collected a through ball from Brandon Soppy, bamboozled his way past a defender and curled a shot into the top left corner. Georgios Kyriakopoulos scored the opener for Sassuolo four minutes before the interval but Mario Pasalic levelled on the stroke of half-time.
In La Liga, Antoine Griezmann struck early in the second half to earn Atlético Madrid a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao, moving above their opponents into third place. After a first half of very few chances, Atlético took the lead through Griezmann in the 47th minute when the forward received a neat pass from Álvaro Morata and sent a low first-time shot past goalkeeper Unai Simón. Atlético moved to 19 points from nine games, overhauling Bilbao who slipped to fourth.
Elsewhere, Nemanja Gudelj’s second-half goal gave Sevilla a 1-0 victory at Mallorca, Edinson Cavani scored twice for Valencia in a 2-2 draw with Elche, and Cristhian Stuani’s penalty deep in stoppage time gave Girona a 1-1 draw with Cádiz.
The leaders, Barcelona and Real Madrid face each other in the clásico at the Bernabéu on Sunday.
In France, Lorient missed out on the chance to move provisionally top of Ligue 1 as they were held to a goalless stalemate at home by nine-man Reims on Saturday. Lorient lacked their usual creativity and failed to take advantage after Dion Lopy was given Reims’ eighth red card this season early in the second half. Emmanuel Agbadou was also sent off in stoppage time.
The result leaves Lorient in second place on 26 points from 11 games, behind Paris Saint-Germain on goal difference before the French champions’ clash with third-placed Marseille on Sunday. Reims are 14th on nine points.
Lorient started brightly but suffered a setback when the forward Terem Moffi was forced off injured in the 24th minute.
The Reims midfielder Lopy was shown a second yellow card and was sent off a minute after half-time, but the visitors continued to dominate and they also coped with Agbadou’s dismissal to earn a point.
Eintracht Frankfurt climbed to fourth in the Bundesliga after thrashing 10-man Bayer Leverkusen 5-1 at home, including two penalties by the Japan midfielder Daichi Kamada.
Frankfurt have 17 points after 10 games and trail third-placed Hoffenheim on goal difference. Leverkusen slipped into the relegation zone in 16th with eight points.
After a series of missed chances, Frankfurt were awarded a penalty before the break when Jesper Lindstrøm was brought down in the box by Edmond Tapsoba. The forward Randal Kolo Muani took the penalty, which was saved by Lukas Hradecky, but the VAR ruled the Leverkusen keeper was off his line, forcing a retake. Kamada took the second attempt and made it 1-0 to the the Europa League holders.
Leverkusen, playing under their new coach, Xabi Alonso, drew level in the 56th minute through a header from Piero Hincapié after a free-kick, but their joy was short-lived as Kolo Muani made up for his penalty miss with a diving header two minutes later.
Lindstrom made it 3-1 in the 65th minute with a sublime lob over Hradecky from a tight angle before Kamada scored a 72nd-minute penalty as Hincapié was sent off for picking up a second yellow for a tackle on Kolo Muani.
Lucas Alario wrapped up the win with a tap-in in the 86th minute, scoring his first league goal for Frankfurt against his former side.
RB Leipzig scored three first-half goals before staving off a spirited Hertha Berlin comeback after the break to win an entertaining game 3-2. Goals from Emil Forsberg, Abdou Diallo and Willie Orban had put Leipzig in a commanding position before Dodi Lukebakio and Stevan Jovetic pulled two back to set up a nervy finale.
Comments (…)
Sign in or create your Guardian account to join the discussion