European roundup: Leipzig stun Bayern and open door for Dortmund
The Bundesliga leaders, Bayern Munich, suffered a shock 3-1 home loss to RB Leipzig, leaving their title hopes hanging in the balance going into the last match day and offering Borussia Dortmund the chance to overtake them on Sunday.
Bayern went ahead through Serge Gnabry but inexplicably took their foot off the gas and conceded three goals in the second half thanks to a Konrad Laimer strike and penalties from Christopher Nkunku and Dominik Szoboszlai.
“When you play so far below your level and you keep dropping that level then you will struggle to win games and when you struggle to win games it is just not enough,” Thomas Tuchel said. “I have no explanation how something like that could happen. It is inexplicable. We stopped moving, stopped helping, stopped showing courage.”
Bayern, who have only the league title left to fight for after exiting the German Cup and Champions League in the quarter-finals following the arrival of Tuchel, remain top on 68 points. Dortmund, on 67, are in action at Augsburg on Sunday and a win would send them into next week’s season finale in the driving seat.
Bayern were in complete control at the start and the in-form Gnabry rifled in off the post in the 25th minute for his fifth goal in four matches. But they almost instantly became complacent, giving Leipzig too much space and allowing them to create a string of chances, with Yann Sommer making three fine stops.
They eventually paid the price for their sluggishness in the 65th minute when Laimer, who is expected to join Bayern next season, drilled in an equaliser from a deflected pass.
Leipzig’s turnaround was complete in the 76th minute after Nkunku was brought down in the box and the France international stepped up to beat Sommer from the spot. A second penalty in the 85th minute from Szoboszlai for a handball completed a disastrous afternoon for Tuchel’s team.
Leipzig’s first victory in Munich guarantees them third place and a Champions League spot next season. Bayern travel to Köln next week while Dortmund host Mainz.
An Olivier Giroud hat-trick helped Milan demolish already relegated Sampdoria 5-1 in Serie A on Saturday, earning Stefano Pioli’s side a muchneeded morale boost.
Milan provisionally cut the gap with fourth-placed Lazio to one point before Maurizio Sarri’s men travel to Udinese on Sunday.
Rafael Leão put Milan in front in the ninth minute when he beat Sampdoria keeper Nicola Ravaglia with a precise low shot into the bottom right corner but Sampdoria levelled shortly after through forward Fabio Quagliarella.
Milan responded immediately with a Giroud header to restore the lead before the Frenchman made it 3-1 from the penalty spot in the 29th minute and scored one more in the 68th, right after forward Brahim Díaz had made it 4-1.
Mikel Merino and Alexander Sørloth scored in each half to earn Real Sociedad a 2-1 win at Barcelona, handing the La Liga champions their first home defeat of the season on a day when they were celebrating their title triumph.
With the league title in the bag, there was an end-of-season feel at the Camp Nou as the fans waited to see the post-game celebrations when Barça would lift the La Liga trophy.
However, Real Sociedad made sure it would not go all Barça’s way as they got in front quickly, with Merino scoring with a tidy finish in the fifth minute. They extended their lead through Sørloth in the 72nd minute and Robert Lewandowski headed in a consolation for Barcelona from close-range in the 90th minute.
With three games left, fourthplaced Real Sociedad moved on to 65 points and tightened their grip on the last Champions League qualification spot, five points ahead of fifth-placed Villarreal who beat Girona 2-1 earlier on Saturday.
Lille came from a goal down to earn a home 2-1 win over Marseille in Ligue 1 as the race for the Champions League places intensified.
Marseille remain third on 73 points and, despite the loss, can be sure of at least a place in the Champions League qualifying round for next season after Lyon beat fourth-placed Monaco 3-1 earlier on Saturday.
Defender Jonathan Clauss gave Marseille the lead just before the halfhour mark when he bundled the ball past Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier from close range.
But Lille, now fifth in the league and unbeaten at home in all competitions since August, equalised from the spot shortly after the break through forward Jonathan David and winger Jonathan Bamba sealed the win in the 72nd minute with a header.