European roundup: Olivier Giroud on target as Milan sink Roma
Milan clinched a commanding 3-1 victory at home over Roma in Serie A on Sunday, with Yacine Adli, Olivier Giroud, and Theo Hernández all scoring.
Milan broke the deadlock after 11 minutes when Adli received the ball just outside the box, sidestepped his marker, and placed it into the bottom corner. Giroud doubled the lead for the hosts after 56 minutes when a cross into the box found Simon Kjaer, who nodded the ball across for the Frenchman to head it in from point-blank range
Roma overcame a first-half struggle and improved after the break, as Leandro Paredes converted a 69th-minute penalty following Davide Calabria’s trip on Lorenzo Pellegrini, but Milan secured the win with Hernández’s goal six minutes from time.Milan are third in the standings with 42 points, nine behind leaders Internazionale, and four behind second-placed Juventus, who host Sassuolo on Tuesday. Roma are ninth with 29 points.
The surprise La Liga leadersGirona were left frustrated after being held to a goalless draw by the bottom side Almería and ending the contest with 10 men, with Aleix García shown a straight red card late in the second half.
With Real Madrid playing in the Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona
in Saudi Arabia later on Sunday, Girona climbed back to the top with 49 points, one ahead of second-placed Real and eight clear of Barça in third.
Girona held a little more than 55% of possession but were bereft of ideas and barely threatened, registering only one shot on target. Almería were the superior side but failed to score and they remain winless in the league after 20 matches.
“We have no excuses … there is not an explanation to give or many ways to defend our situation because … we haven’t won a single game,” Almería’s manager, Gaizka Garitano, said. Almería had given a hard time to Barcelona before the Christmas break but came away empty handed after a late Sergi Roberto strike secured the Catalan club a 3-2 victory.
On Sunday Almería were better throughout but were frustrated by the goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga, who made a string of saves. The midfielder Sergio Arribas wasted several great chances, including a sitter from close range.
In the 80th minute, García was given his marching orders after holding Gonzalo Melero from behind when the Almería midfielder was trying to surge past Gazzaniga. Girona soaked up the late pressure to salvage a point but a second draw in three games will feel like another wasted opportunity to open up a bigger gap at the top of the standings.
“We can’t always win. When the opposition beats you like today, it’s great news that we at least steal a point,” the Girona manager, Míchel, told reporters. “A team that wants to stay on top of the standings need games like this, in which they can rescue a point against a rival that plays better than you in every aspect of the game.”
Stuttgart, without their top scorer Serhou Guirassy, crashed to a 3-1 loss at Borussia Mönchengladbach on their return to Bundesliga action after the winter break. The Guinea international Guirassy, who has scored 17 times in the Bundesliga this season, is on duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, and without him Stuttgart were lacking their usual efficiency up front but are still third on 34 points, one ahead of RB Leipzig.
Gladbach’s Robin Hack slotted in to give them the lead after just 21 seconds and he doubled their advantage 18 minutes later from a superb Alassane Pléa through ball. Stuttgart hit the post through Deniz Undav in the 32nd and had several more opportunities before Josha Vagnoman pulled one back with a powerful shot in the 56th.
With the visitors pushing for an equaliser, Gladbach struck on the break with Jordan slotting in on the rebound in stoppage time after Manu Koné’s shot had bounced off the crossbar.
In France, goals from Kylian Mbappé and Bradley Barcola earned Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain a 2-0 away win over Lens, extending their unbeaten league run to 13 games.
Luis Enrique’s side reached 43 points as they extended their lead over second-placed Nice to eight points. Lens are eighth with 26 points.
PSG grabbed the lead in a fine team move where Mbappé set up Barcola for an easy finish inside the box around the half-hour mark. The hosts suffered a further blow just before half-time when Jonathan Gradit received a red card for tripping Barcola as he was through on goal.
Lens had wasted a golden chance to take the lead early in the first half when Przemyslaw Frankowski missed his penalty kick by firing the ball straight at goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The spot kick had been awarded for a foul by Danilo on Lens forward Elye Wahi.
Mbappé sealed the win in the 89th minute, scoring from a counterattack and a pinpoint pass from Ousmane Dembélé to take his tally to 19 league goals this season.