European roundup: Lamine Yamal nets Barcelona winner, Napoli held by Torino
The Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal struck a fine goal to secure a hardfought 1-0 home win against a dangerous Mallorca side on Friday to move within five points of the La Liga leaders Real Madrid. The victory put the hosts provisionally in second place on 61 points, two clear of Girona, as they closed in on Real, who host struggling Celta Vigo on Sunday.
The 16-year-old Yamal gave Barça the lead in the 73rd minute with a brilliant curling shot into the top left-hand corner for his fourth league goal this season. Ilkay Gündogan could have put Barcelona ahead in the 24th minute with a penalty after a VAR check for a challenge on Raphinha. However the Mallorca goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic dived to his left to deny the Germany international.
The Barcelona manager, Xavi Hernandez, who lost midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Pedri to injury in the last game, was forced to take off Raphinha in the 37th after a foul on the Brazilian forward. Barça next host Napoli in their Champions League last 16-second leg on Tuesday, with the tie level at 1-1.
Napoli had to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to Torino after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s
strike was cancelled out by Antonio Sanabria’s overhead kick in their Serie A clash. Kvaratskhelia scored his 10th league goal of the season in the 61st minute by skilfully guiding home a cross from Mário Rui after missing several chances earlier in the match.
But three minutes later the Torino substitute Sanabria equalised with a spectacular bicycle kick that sent the ball into the roof of the net despite the efforts of the goalkeeper Alex Meret. The reigning champions Napoli stay seventh on 44 points, seven behind Bologna in fourth, as their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are fading. Torino are 10th with 38 points.
In the Bundesliga, Stuttgart secured a 2-0 home win over Union Berlin with goals from Serhou Guirassy and Chris Führich as they closed in on secondplaced Bayern Munich. Stuttgart have now gone seven games unbeaten to reach 53 points, nine clear of Borussia Dortmund in fourth and one behind Bayern, both with a game in hand. Bayer Leverkusen lead on 64 points.
The league’s second-top scorer Guirassy put the hosts ahead in the 19th minute with his 21st league goal this season thanks to a fine finish at the far post. Führich doubled Stuttgart’s lead with a superb strike in the 65th minute and the visitors were down to 10 men four minutes later when András Schäfer was sent off for a foul on Josha Vagnoman.
In Ligue 1, Montpellier pulled off a 2-1 win at Nice. Jean-Clair Todibo’s own goal gave the visitors an early lead but Nice quickly equalised through Jérémie Boga. However Téji Savanier’s penalty before half-time gave Montpellier a lead they held on to until the finish.