Best of the Rest
Fiorentina fight back to draw:
Fiorentina mounted a second half comeback to draw with Genoa 1-1 at home in a Serie A game marked by VAR decisions against both teams.
The draw extended Fiorentina’s winless run to five league matches and left it in 10th place, trailing in the race for European competitions next season.
The first VAR decision went Genoa’s way when Fiorentina’s Andrea Belotti had a 26th-minute goal chalked off for offside.
That roused Genoa to take the lead three minutes before halftime through a penalty from Albert Gudmundsson. Fabiano Parisi was adjudged to have felled Caleb Ekuban. It was the Icelander’s third goal in three games.
However, Jonathan Ikoné equalized nine minutes into the second half for Fiorentina with a nice header.
With 70 minutes gone, the referee awarded the home side a penalty only to change his mind after a video review.
Genoa remained in 12th place, well clear of the relegation zone but with little chance of securing a European place.
Verona also came from behind to draw at Atalanta 2-2 and secure a vital point in its relegation fight.
Verona rose to 16th, tied on points with Udinese and Empoli. But only two points separates all three from second-to-last Sassuolo.
Atalanta looked to be cruising after a Gianluca Scamacca-inspired opening few minutes. (AP)
❑ ❑ ❑ Osasuna lose to Valencia:
Ante Budimir missed what may be the worst penalty kick of his career and his embarrassing stumble cost Osasuna after it lost at home to Valencia 1-0 in the Spanish league.
Budimir was awarded the disputed spot kick in the fourth minute of stoppage time, and the penalty was upheld after a long video consultation. But the Croatian striker barely made contact with the ball and it trundled into the arms of the disbelieving goalkeeper.
Osasuna’s top goalscorer this season with 16, Budimir adopted a stop-start approach to the kick but it failed miserably in a dramatic end to the match.
“He has apologized three times to me and he doesn’t have to ask for forgiveness,” Osasuna coach Jagoba Arrasate said. “It’s inevitable that we’ll remember this play. That’s part of the game.”
Andre Almeida’s angled drive in the 18th minute put Valencia ahead and proved to be the difference between the sides. (AP)
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CL semifinal postponed in UAE: The first leg of the Asian Champions League semifinal between Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal has been postponed from Tuesday to Wednesday after torrential rain brought floods to the host country.
The Asian Football Confederatoin made the decision after thunderstorms pounded the UAE, flooding out portions of major highways and closing roads and bridges. The UAE’s national federation had earlier called off all local soccer games.
The game is now set to be played at 8 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) on Wednesday at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain.
The AFC said it was “keeping in view the safety of all fans, players and stakeholders” in pushing the game back 24 hours.
The second leg remains unchanged with Al-Hilal hosting Al-Ain in Riyadh next Tuesday.
Al-Hilal is on course for a record fifth continental title, while Al-Ain is looking to add to its 2003 continental championship.
Also on Wednesday, Ulsan HD of South Korea hosts Yokohama F.Marinos of Japan in the other semifinal. (AP)
❑ ❑ ❑ Hölzenbein, WC winner dies:
Bernd Hölzenbein, who won a crucial penalty in West Germany’s victory over the Netherlands in the 1974 World Cup final, has died. He was 78.
Hölzenbein’s former club Eintracht Frankfurt said in a statement Tuesday that he died Monday while with his family, without giving further details.
“One of the greatest we have ever had,” the club wrote on social media.
Hölzenbein played 40 games for West Germany but is best known for his role in the 2-1 comeback victory over the Netherlands to win the World Cup on home soil in 1974. (AP)