European roundup: Bayern Munich extend lead at top with win over Mainz
Bayern Munich came from a goal down to beat Mainz 2-1 on Saturday, thanks to goals from Kingsley Coman and Jamal Musiala, to go six points clear at the top of the Bundesliga. The Bavarians are now on 37 points with secondplaced Borussia Dortmund on 31 following their 1-1 draw at VfL Bochum.
Bayern dominated from the start but it was Mainz who scored against the run of play with Karim Onisiwo heading in after 22 minutes.
The Bavarians kept pressing high and gained possession but they could not make their advantage count against Mainz, who under Danish coach Bo Svensson are having their best season in 11 years.
Coman finally got them level in the 53rd minute controlling a deep Corentin Tolisso cross with a brilliant first touch and slotting in through the legs of Zentner to level. And the Bavarians bagged the win with Musiala’s clever shot in the 74th.
Dortmund needed an 85th minute equaliser from Julian Brandt to rescue a point in a 1-1 draw at Bochum. Brandt bagged a fully deserved leveller after Bochum had taken the lead in the 40th minute with a Sebastian Polter penalty.
RB Leipzig had a winning start to life under new coach Domenico Tedesco with a 4-1 win over struggling Borussia Mönchengladbach. Tedesco’s
team ended the three-game losing streak in the Bundesliga which helped cost coach Jesse Marsch his job last week.
Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol opened the scoring off a free kick from Angelino in the 22nd — his first goal for the team — and forward André Silva doubled the advantage 11 minutes later. Ramy Bensebaini gave Gladbach brief hope of a comeback with a goal in the 88th but Christopher Nkunku and Benjamin Henrichs each scored for Leipzig in added time. Defeat left Gladbach 13th and heaped more pressure on coach Adi Hütter.
The United States defender Chris Richards scored the winning goal in stoppage time as Hoffenheim won at Freiburg 2-1 to move up to fourth and into the Champions League places. Wolfsburg lost their fifth consecutive game in all competitions 2-0 to Stuttgart.
Juventus’s disappointing Serie A season continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Venezia on Saturday. The visitors dominated the first half and went into the break with a 1-0 lead given to them by Álvaro Morata in the 32nd minute at the near post.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side continued to look comfortable after the interval, but they could not make their pressure count as a second goal remained elusive. Their profligacy in front of goal proved costly as, against the run of play, Mattia Aramu arrowed an equaliser into the bottom corner in the 55th minute.
The chances continued to come and go but Allegri’s men could not find a winner, with the draw meaning Juve fell to sixth in the standings, 10 points off leaders Milan, who play later on Saturday.
Newly promoted Venezia, who avoided defeat for the first time in four league games, stay 16th on 16 points from 17 games.
“These are two points thrown away against an excellent Venezia,” Allegri told Dazn. “The first half we did well, creating many chances on goal. Then there was a blackout of 10-15 minutes until the goal of Venezia. There are times where we are beautiful, but when you have to grit your teeth we don’t.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a landmark goal in stoppage time to snatch a point for Serie A leaders Milan at Udinese. The Swedish frontman joined Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in hitting 300 goals in Europe’s top five leagues.
Udinese were on the verge of a shock win after taking the lead through a breakaway goal from Portuguese forward Beto. But Ibrahimovic secured a 1-1 draw with a typically acrobatic finish to join a select band of forwards in the 300 Club.
Udinese lost Isaac Success to an even later red card for a barge on Milan keeper Mike Maignan.
In La Liga, Sevilla closed the gap on leaders Real Madrid to five points after a Thomas Delaney cracker sank Athletic
Bilbao 1-0. Delaney hit the 38thminute winner against the run of play, curling in a superb shot from the edge of the area into the top corner.
Espanyol won a seven-goal thriller at home to bottom side Levante. Sergi Darder fired the hosts into a sixthminute lead only for Jorge De Frutos and Son to put Levante ahead at halftime. Raúl De Tomás equalised four minutes into the second half but José Luis Morales put Levante back into the lead. However, Javi Puado’s double made it 4-3 to Espanyol before Son was sent off towards the end.
A late Joselu equaliser gave Alavés a 1-1 draw against Getafe, for whom Enes Unal opened the scoring. Alavés lost Florian Lejeune to a red card in stoppage time.
Cristiano Piccini’s winner four minutes from time gave Valencia a 2-1 victory at home to Elche.