European roundup: Bayern thrash Leverkusen as Dutch stand collapses
Bayern Munich thrashed Bayer Leverkusen 5-1 on Sunday as Julian Nagelsmann’s side ran riot and silenced a stunned BayArena, scoring five goals by half-time to reclaim top spot in the Bundesliga from Borussia Dortmund.
Two goals each from Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry moved Bayern up to 19 points, one point ahead of Dortmund, while Leverkusen remain third with 16.
Bayern took the lead with just three minutes on the clock from a set piece when an unmarked Dayot Upamecano crossed the ball into the six-yard box, where Lewandowski scored with a neat back-heeled flick.
The Pole made it 2-0 at the halfhour mark when a Bayern counterattack allowed the left-back Alphonso Davies to dribble his way into the box towards the striker, who simply stuck a leg out to tap the ball into the net.
Bayern then scored three goals in three minutes with Thomas Müller scoring from point-blank range before Gnabry scored twice, benefiting from a Müller assist and then a layoff from Leon Goretzka as Leverkusen failed to deal with the press.
Manuel Neuer kept Leverkusen at bay with some fine saves but he was finally beaten 10 minutes after the restart when Patrik Schick was released down the right channel by Florian Wirtz and the Czech forward fired a shot that went in off the post.
In the Eredivisie, VitesseArnhem supporters celebrated their 1-0 win at NECNijmegen by jumping up and down in unison, resulting in the stand they were in to collapse, although no injuries have been reported.
Victor Osimhen scored an 81stminute winner as Napoli beat Torino 1-0 on Sunday to return to the top of the Serie A table. Luciano Spalletti’s side are top with 24 points, two clear of second-placed AC Milan. Napoli had a golden chance to take the lead after 27 minutes when Lorenzo Insigne’s penalty was tame and easily saved by Vanja Milinkovic-Savic. It was the Italy winger’s third failed spot kick in five attempts this season, the worst record in Europe’s top-five leagues.
Napoli eventually found the breakthrough late on when an attempted clearance was deflected high into a busy box and Osimhen rose highest to head home his fifth league goal of the season.
Juventus continued their march up the standings with a 1-0 win overb , as Moise Kean’s unorthodox early goal sealed a fourth consecutive league win for the Turin club.
Ansu Fati marked his first start in almost a year by scoring one goal and creating another as Barcelona came from behind to beat Valencia 3-1 in La Liga.Despite being allowed a full capacity crowd for the first time since March 2020, Barça’s ground was only half full - and those in attendance were silenced after five minutes as José Gayà’s longrange strike swerved into the far corner.
Barça responded well and Fati levelled after 13 minutes with a wonderful curled finished from the edge of the box. The youngster was then felled inside the box by Gayà four minutes before the break and Memphis Depay
stepped up to net from the spot.Carlos Soler hit the woodwork after the break as Valencia pushed for an equaliser, but the home side were able to secure all three points when substitute Philippe
Coutinho fired in from close range five minutes from the end.
Nice were caught napping early on as they slumped to their second Ligue 1 defeat of the season with a 1-0 loss at lowly Troyes. The forward Mama Baldé scored the only goal after four minutes to lift Troyes up to 16th on nine points from 10 games, seven behind thirdplaced Nice.
Second-placed Lens lost ground with leaders Paris St Germain when they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Montpellier. English forward Stephy Mavididi
found the back of the net for the hosts early in the second half to lift his team up to 13th on 13 points from 10 games.
Stefano Colantuono was named as Salernitana coach for a second time after Fabrizio Castori was sacked following a 2-1 defeat at Spezia that left the promoted side bottom of the Serie A standings. Colantuono previously led the club between Dec. 2017 and Dec. 2018, the 58-year-old’s last coaching role.