Atletico draw to bring Barca closer to title
MADRID: Atletico Madrid warmed up for their Europa League clash with Arsenal by playing out a 0-0 draw with in-form Betis in La Liga, a result that left Barcelona closer still to the Spanish title.
Antoine Griezmann was left out of the starting line-up by coach Diego Simeone and Atletico drew a second blank in four days, following their 3-0 defeat away at Real Sociedad on Thursday.
Atletico remain second but with four games left, they are 11 points behind unbeaten La Liga leaders Barcelona, who can clinch the title next weekend when they go to Deportivo.
Saul Niguez struck the woodwork for Atletico in the second half, not long after Cristian Tello had hit the post for Betis at the other end. Griezmann came off the bench just after the hour mark, but Simeone’s side could not get the breakthrough and they are four points clear of third-placed Real Madrid.
NAPOLI WIN AS JUVE LEAD CUT TO ONE POINT
TURIN: Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly’s stunning lastgasp goal kept Napoli’s title hopes alive with a 1-0 win at Juventus closing the gap to just one point on the Serie A champions. Koulibaly headed in the winner in the final minute to give Napoli their first-ever win at Allianz Stadium.
Six-time defending champions Juventus’s lead at the top of the table has been cut to just one point with four games left. It was just their third league defeat this season and first since Nov 19.
CAN’T CATCH UP WITH CITY, SAYS MOURINHO
MANCHESTER: Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho admitted his side have little chance of catching Premier League champions Manchester City next season unless the standards set by Pep Guardiola’s side slip.
Second-placed United trail City by 16 points with four games of the league season to go after Guardiola’s men kept up their chase of a series of Premier League records by thrashing Swansea 5-0 yesterday.
Mourinho believes United let crucial points slip away in defeats to West Brom, Huddersfield and Newcastle.
However, the Portuguese coach reckons even if those errors are eradicated next season, it will be difficult to challenge for the title if free-spending City bolster their squad once more over the summer. “I think we should have eight, nine or 10 points more than we had,” said Mourinho after reaching the FA Cup final by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on Saturday.