West Brom close in on EPL promotion with win over Derby
MILAN: Atalanta beat Sampdoria 2-0 on Wednesday as second-half goals from Rafael Toloi and Luis Muriel secured their ninth straight league victory and moved the Bergamo oufit to within nine points of leaders Juventus.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s men appeared set to batle it out with Roma for the fourth and final Champions League spot when the division restarted following the coronavirus lockdown, but their excellent form has seen them climb above Inter Milan into third.
They may even be dreaming of an unlikely title challenge ater Juve and second-placed Lazio both lost on Tuesday, with Atalanta now just two points behind the capital club.
Inter could retake third when they visit Hellas Verona on Thursday.
Atalanta, who have scored 18 more goals than any other club in the Italian top flight this season, were frustrated for long periods by Sampdoria.
But the home side finally broke through with 15 minutes to play in Bergamo as Brazilian defender Toloi met a corner at the far post to head home.
Colombian international Muriel continued his brilliant first season with Atalanta since signing from Fiorentina, collecting a half-cleared corner before crashing in his 17th league goal of the season in the 85th minute.
It promises to be a thrilling finish to the campaign for Atalanta, with the Champions League ‘Final 8’ tournament in Lisbon still to come in August.
Roma stayed fith, albeit 13 points adrit of fourth-placed Inter, as French midfielder Jordan Veretout capped a 2-1 comeback victory over Parma.
Juraj Kucka’s early penalty put the away side ahead at the Stadio Olimpico, but Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored for the second game running for Roma before Veretout’s 57th-minute winner.
Earlier, Hirving Lozano struck as Napoli claimed a 2-1 win over Genoa which let their opponents stuck in the relegation zone.
Genoa, playing their 13th straight season in the Italian top flight, remain one point behind 17th-placed Lecce ater their shock 2-1 win over Lazio on Tuesday.
LONDON: Slaven Bilic saluted “magnificent” West Bromwich Albion as the Championship leaders closed in on promotion to the Premier League with a 2-0 win against Derby on Wednesday.
Bilic’s side powered to victory at the Hawthorns thanks to goals from Grady Diangana and Dara O’shea.
West Brom are five points clear of third placed Brenford in the race for automatic promotion.
Albion need eight points from their last four games to end their two-year exile from the Premier League.
Second-placed Leeds host Stoke on Thursday and will return to the top with a victory, but Albion boss Bilic is delighted with the way his players have coped with the pressure of the run-in.
“The guys below are puting the pressure on us and Leeds, but it’s nice to be back on the top of the table,” he said
“We were magnificent, we were fantastic. I’m so proud of them.
“We had very offensive players but the way we defended was great. Everyone did the job.
“It’s not only three points, the performance is giving you belief and confidence.”
West Ham loanee Diangana opened the scoring ater 11 minutes when he neted from a tight angle ater latching onto Kamil Grosicki’s pass.
Albion never looked in danger and O’shea wrapped up the points 14 minutes from the end, heading in Matheus Pereira’s corner.
Derby remain three points adrit of the top six and Louie Sibley was dismissed in stoppagetime ater a kick on O’shea.
Swansea strengthened their play-off bid with a 3-1 win at Birmingham.
Steve Cooper’s side came from behind ater Lukas Jutkiewicz’s fith-minute opener.
On-loan Liverpool forward Rhian Brewster, Ben Cabango and Jay Fulton were the scorers as Swansea bagged a second successive victory.
They move within a point and a place of the top six behind local rivals Cardiff, while Brewster made it eight goals in 16 games since his arrival from Anfield in January.
Wigan’s hopes of avoiding the drop were boosted as Kieffer Moore’s first-half strike clinched a 1-0 win over QPR at the DW Stadium.
Playing at home for the first time since last week’s announcement that they had entered administration, Wigan went ahead in the 33rd minute when Moore fired past Joe Lumley.
Preston kept alive their play-off hopes with a 3-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday.