Tottenham consolidate top-4 spot

West Brom on brink of relegation

STOKE-ON-TRENT, United Kingdom, April 7, (AFP): Christian Eriksen scored twice as Tottenham Hotspur clinched a 2-1 Premier League win over Stoke City following Harry Kane’s return to the starting line-up after an ankle injury.

Kane thought he had got on the scoresheet for Tottenham after the winner was initially credited to him and television replays appeared inconclusive.

However, Eriksen was subsequently attributed with the goal that secured the points for Spurs after his earlier opener

MILAN, April 7, (AFP): Paulo Dybala scored a hat-trick, including two from the penalty spot, to extend Juventus’s lead at the top of Serie A with a 4-2 win at battling bottom club Benevento on Saturday.

The Turin giants moved a step closer to a seventh straight Italian title, four days before they travel to Real Madrid needing to overturn a 3-0 deficit to reach the Champions League semifinals.

Juventus now lead second-placed Napoli, who travel to Chievo on Sunday, by seven points, as Roma’s 2-0 defeat at home to Fiorentina put their third place under threat from Inter Milan and Lazio, who play on Sunday.

Malian forward Cheick Diabate scored a brace to twice drag Benevento back into the game but the rockbottom side fell to their 26th defeat in 31 games.

Congratulations to the lads because today was important to win after the defeat against Real Madrid, said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri.

There are seven games left and today it was too important.

The feeling was that we were at risk, the same feeling I had against AC Milan (last week) when we conceded many shots for the first time in months.

Weve got to take every last drop of energy weve got left to go for the Scudetto, Italian Cup and of course the second leg in Madrid.

Dybala — who will miss the trip to Madrid after being red-carded in the first leg — opened the scoring after quarter of an hour and got the second just before the break when he slotted in a penalty awarded after consultation with the video assistant referee (VAR).