European roundup: Martínez's late goal extends Inter's Serie A lead as Milan lose
Lautaro Martínez scored a late winner to stretch Internazionale’s Serie A winning run to eight games and extend his side’s lead to nine points at the top with a 2-1 victory over relegation-threatened Torino.
Romelu Lukaku fired Inter in front from the penalty spot after 62 minutes but Antonio Sanabria soon levelled, before Martínez steered a header into the bottom corner with five minutes remaining.
“It was a tough match, we knew Torino are down towards the bottom of the table and needed points, but we did too to stay at the top of the table,” Martínez told Sky Italia.
With coach Antonio Conte looking on from the stands due to suspension, Inter had struggled to break down a well-drilled Torino side.
But substitutes Christian Eriksen and Alexis Sánchez made an impact from the bench, as the Dane was involved in the move leading to the penalty and Sánchez provided the cross for Martínez’s winning header.
Inter moved up to 65 points, while second-placed Milan missed the chance to keep the gap to six points after losing at home to Napoli.
Matteo Politano, who arrived in Naples on loan from Inter in January, capped a swift counterattack following a fine through ball from Piotr Zielinski to finish smartly for that game’s only goal, while Milan substitute Ante Rebic was dismissed in stoppage time following his protestations to the referee about a decision that went against his side.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick inside 32 minutes as Juventus bounced back from their midweek Champions League exit to Porto by winning 3-1
at Cagliari. He found the net with a header, a right-footed penalty and a left-foot shot and celebrated by pointing to his ear in an apparent response to recent criticism.
Granada ended Real Sociedad’s seven-match unbeaten streak in La Liga with a 1-0 win. Germán Sánchez scored the winner for the hosts early in the second half. The result moved Granada to eighth place and left Sociedad in fifth. The Basque Country club had entered the match with a chance to overtake Sevilla for fourth in the final Champions League qualification spot.
Earlier, Celta Vigo and Athletic Bilbao drew 0-0 in Vigo in a result that left the teams mid-table tied with 34 points.
In Germany, second-placed RB Leipzig lost ground in the Bundesliga title race when they were held to a 1-1 home draw by Eintracht Frankfurt. The draw ended Leipzig’s six-match winning run in the league, and Julian Nagelsmann’s side are now on 54 points after 25 games, four points behind leaders Bayern Munich.
The hosts dominated the first half and made the breakthrough in the 46th minute through winger Emil Forsberg. Frankfurt drew level in the 61st minute when midfielder Daichi Kamada’s halfvolley from André Silva’s cross beat Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.
Frankfurt remained alive in the fight for Champions League qualification in fourth spot on 44 points, two points above Borussia Dortmund in fifth. Earlier, sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen failed to overtake Dortmund after they lost 2-1 at home to lowly Arminia Bielefeld.
The top two in France both failed to win, as Lille’s seven-game winning away streak in Ligue 1 ended with a dour 0-0 stalemate at Monaco but they extended their lead to three points after PSG were stunned at home by Nantes’ comeback 2-1 victory in Sunday’s late game. Lille, who now have 63 points from 29 games, now hold a three-point lead.
PSG’s Julian Draxler opened the scoring in Paris, but the lowly visitors, who ended the day third-bottom, roared back in the second half with one apiece from forwards Randal Kolo and Moses Simon.
Monaco are fourth on 56 points, four behind Lyon, who were held to a 1-1 draw at Stade de Reims on Friday.
Monaco and Lille had just four shots on target between them in the match and failed to create decent chances, eventually looking content with a point, although Stevan Jovetic was denied by Lille keeper Mike Maignan’s superb save in stoppage time.