Barca made to sweat for draw by Bilbao
New signings strike as Milan beat Cagliari
BILBAO, Feb 11, (RTRS): La Liga leaders Barcelona handed Real Madrid more hope in the title race as they drew 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao, only avoiding defeat thanks to some outstanding saves by Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The Germany keeper twice thwarted forward Inaki Williams and kept out a stinging drive from Markel Susaeta in an intense and entertaining game in which the champions came under heavy pressure throughout.
Barca top the standings with 51 points after 23 games, six ahead of a resurgent Real Madrid.
With Lionel Messi hampered by a recent thigh problem and influential left back Jordi Alba suspended, Barca were far from their usual best, creating few clear opportunities and ending the game defending deep as Bilbao continued to attack.
The impressive hosts were left frustrated by the sending off of Oscar de Marcos in added time for a second yellow card, but there was barely any time left for Barca to take advantage and they had to settle for a second straight league stalemate after last week’s 2-2 draw at home to Valencia.
Barca coach Ernesto Valverde was still upbeat about his side’s position in the title race, even though in the last nine days they have dropped four points.
The home side, hurting after a limp defeat by local rivals Real Sociedad in their last outing and with a heaving San Mames stadium willing them on, made an intense start and took the game to the champions.
Ter Stegen was first called into action by a long-range strike from Susaeta, the German flying towards the top right corner to tip the ball over the bar with his left hand.
He then stood form to keep out an overhead kick from Raul Garcia and was alert in the second half, instinctively throwing an arm into the air to pat away a close range shot from Williams and later stretching to catch a shot from the forward.
Messi, who began Wednesday’s 1-1 draw at home to Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg on the bench, was Barca’s most dangerous outlet despite his obvious fitness issues.
He came closest to scoring for the visitors, sending a loose ball on to the top of the crossbar after Bilbao keeper Iago Herrerin fumbled on the edge of the area.
Barca enjoyed more control in the second half after homegrown midfielder Carles Alena replaced an erratic Arturo Vidal but tired as the game progressed.
Bilbao looked far likelier to break the deadlock in the closing stages, but were repeatedly shut out by the intimidating presence of the impressive Ter Stegen.
In Milan, AC Milan’s January signings Krzysztof Piatek and Lucas Paqueta were both on the scoresheet after an own goal put the hosts on the way to a 3-0 win over Cagliari and a return to fourth place in Serie A.
Cagliari’s Luca Ceppitelli could do nothing to avoid putting through his own goal in the 13th minute to open the scoring before Paqueta broke his Milan duck nine minutes later.
Piatek, who got 13 league goals for Genoa before joining Milan last month, scored just past the hour for his fourth in four appearances for his new club, finding the net against a 13th different Serie A opponent this season in the process.
Milan are again in fourth place with 39 points, four points behind Inter Milan in third but a point clear of AS Roma, Atalanta and Lazio, who are all in the hunt for a Champions League qualifying spot and won at the weekend.
The Rossoneri were therefore under pressure to deliver a result and they produced a dominant display against a Cagliari team that has not won away to Milan since May 1997.
Gennaro Gattuso’s side took the lead when Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno pushed Suso’s shot into the chest of defender Ceppitelli and it rebounded into his own net.
Paqueta, who joined Milan for a reported 35 million euros ($39.61 million) from Flamengo in the January transfer window, then tucked a shot into the net at the back post after a magnificent cross from fullback Davide Calabria.
Cagliari came close to pulling one back on the hour mark when Joao Pedro’s header was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma, making his 150th Milan appearance, before the Brazilian’s follow-up effort came back off the crossbar.
Two minutes later Piatek put the result beyond doubt by finding the net through a crowded area after Cragno’s block fell in his path, leaving Cagliari in 15th place on 21 points.
In Paris, Olympique Lyonnais lost 1-0 at Nice after having two goals disallowed as they conceded ground in the race for second place in Ligue 1.
Lyon succombed to Remi Walter’s second-half penalty and are now six points behind second-placed Lille, who won 2-0 at En Avant Guingamp to take their tally to 49 points from 24 games.
Runaway leaders Paris St Germain, who beat Girondins Bordeaux 1-0 on Saturday, have 59 points from 22 matches.
Bruno Genesio’s side dominated the first half and thought they had opened the scoring in the 15th minute through Bertrand Traore but Nabil Fekir, who set him up, was ruled offside.
Three minutes later, Fekir put the ball past goalkeeper Walter Benitez but the goal was disallowed because Moussa Dembele, who was in front of the striker, was offside.
The visitors continued to push forward but the Nice defence held firm and in the 69th minute a Tanguy Ndombele foul gave Patrick Vieira’s side a penalty, which was converted by Walter.
The result took Nice up to seventh place on 37 points.
Lille won at Guingamp with second-half goals by Rafael Leao and Loic Remy, who sealed the win with a stoppage-time penalty.