Atletico within touching distance of top-three finish

MADRID: Saul Niguez all but secured a top-three LaLiga finish for Atletico Madrid in a 1-0 victory over Eibar on Saturday.

Following Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, focus switched back to ensuring automatic progression to next season’s competition.

Leading fourth-placed Sevilla by two points heading into the penultimate league fixture to be staged at the Vicente Calderon, the hosts knew victory would leave Jorge Sampaoli’s men praying for a miracle in their own bid to break into the top three following a 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad on Friday.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND BEAT HOFFENHEIM 2-1 Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were on target as Borussia Dortmund beat Hoffenheim 2-1 in a dramatic encounter to steal a march on their rivals in the race for automatic Champions League qualification.

The two sides have been jostling over third place in the Bundesliga, which guarantees entry into the Champions League group stages, for much of the season and this was a typically action-packed affair for Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel’s men at Signal Iduna Park.

CEO, COACH FRIENDSHIP STRAINED POST BOMBS Dortmund’s CEO admits his relationship with the coach is strained over the decision to play a day after a bomb attack on their team bus. UEFA, in agreement with the two clubs, postponed the game to the day after.