 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Barcelona rout Sevilla to extend lead
Barcelona extended their LaLiga lead to eight points thanks to second-half goals by Jordi Alba, Gavi and Raphinha that gave them a 3-0 home win against Sevilla on Sunday.
Unbeaten in their last 15 matches in all competitions, Barcelona extended their LaLiga winning streak to five games, piling pressure on rivals Real Madrid, who lost 1-0 to Mallorca earlier on Sunday.
Barca top the standings on 53 points, eight ahead of second-placed Real and 14 above third-placed Real Sociedad. Barcelona have never lost a LaLiga title race when leading by eight points or more.
Sevilla, who have won only five of their 20 LaLiga games this season, are 16th on 21 points, two above the relegation zone.
After losing captain Sergio Busquets to injury early in the match, the hosts were the better side for large parts of the game and controlled the tempo.
Yet they could not make their dominance count in front of goal, with Sevilla keeper Yassine Bounou making two brilliant saves to deny Robert Lewandowski in the first half.
Barcelona looked sharper after the break, however, and opened the scoring when substitute Franck Kessie showed great vision to put the ball on a plate for Alba ghosting in behind Sevilla’s defence, with the fullback slotting in from close range in the 58th minute.
Twelve minutes later, Raphinha sped down the right and delivered a perfect low cross to Gavi who tapped it in.
Raphinha got the third goal in the 79th minute with a point-blank strike from an Alba cross.
"We have a series of unbeaten games and have played a good game tonight... I'm very happy and satisfied," coach Xavi Hernandez told DAZN.
"Today we created many chances. I am satisfied with how the team comes out to play and how things are turning out.
"We now have an eight-point advantage, today was an important day but there's a world left to be played."
Inter beat AC Milan in derby clash
A first-half header by striker Lautaro Martinez gave Inter Milan a 1-0 victory over locals rivals AC Milan at a sold-out San Siro on Sunday, condemning Stefano Pioli's side to their third consecutive loss in Serie A.
Inter, who also beat Milan in the final of the Italian Supercup last month, remain second in the standings on 43 points, 13 behind runaway leaders Napoli.
Milan, who have now lost four games in a row in all competitions, dropped to sixth, on 38 points.
"It was certainly a game for which I congratulated my team," Inter coach Simone Inzaghi told DAZN. "They were concentrated, determined, careful; we have dominated.
"Winning two derbies in 20 days makes me very satisfied. We look forward with confidence."
The unmarked Lautaro produced Inter's first serious threat in the sixth minute but Milan keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu saved his header from going inside the left-hand post.
The Argentine striker gave Inter the lead in the 34th minute when he nodded in a corner from close range for his 12th goal this season.
Inter dominated the first half with 76% of possession and prevented Milan from any attempt on goal, but they lost some of their intensity after halftime.
Milan responded with their first shot just before the hour mark but a mid-range header by striker Olivier Giroud went over the crossbar.
They followed up with close chances by substitute Brahim Diaz, whose shot was stopped by Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana, and another opportunity by Giroud whose free kick went wide.
Inter then had the ball inside the net twice but striker Romelu Lukaku was denied a goal for a foul, while Lautaro's strike was ruled out for offside.
Lukaku had one more chance to double Inter's advantage in stoppage time when he fired a shot from the edge of the box but Tatarusanu made a superb save to keep it out.
"The negative games have robbed us of confidence," Pioli said. "We are not so mature with some absentees and other players who are not at their best.
"We have to start over as of tonight. It's a defeat that hurts but we have rediscovered the solidity that can allow us to return to our level."
In the next round of games, Milan host Torino on Friday, while Inter travel to Sampdoria on Feb. 13.
Earlier on Sunday, Torino beat Udinese 1-0 to overtake them in the standings and move to seventh on 30 points. Bologna, in ninth, beat 12th-placed Fiorentina 2-1.
Fourth-placed Lazio, on 38 points, travel to Verona on Monday while Juventus visit Salernitana on Tuesday.
Bayern go back on top by ending winless run
Bayern Munich scored three times in a stellar 10-minute spell in the first half to battle past hosts VfL Wolfsburg 4-2 on Sunday, ending their three-game winless run in the league and reclaiming the top spot.
The Bavarians went into the match with club bosses locked in a public spat with injured keeper Manuel Neuer over the sacking last week of his close friend, goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic, and three consecutive 1-1 league draws since the season restarted in January.
Bayern, who face Paris St Germain in nine days in the Champions League last 16, were desperate for a win and they got it with two goals from Kingsley Coman even though they were made to sweat in the second half as the Wolves twice cut the deficit.
"The win was very important for us as are the three points," said Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann. "We scored three goals from our three first chance and maybe we could have increased the lead if we were a bit more focused and concentrated.
"We lost possession too often in our own third. We made mistakes and allowed too much. We let Wolfsburg get back in the game. This is certainly something we must improve. After Jamal Musiala's 4-1 things got a bit easier."
It took Bayern only nine minutes to show they meant business.
Coman's cross flew past Wolfsburg keeper Koen Casteels and into the far corner after Bayern's Thomas Mueller failed to connect in front of goal.
There was nothing lucky about Coman's second goal in the 14th with the France winger thundering in a volley at the far post from a pinpoint Joao Cancelo cross.
Bayern made it 3-0 five minutes later through Mueller, who equalled the late Gerd Mueller's all-time club record for an infield player with his 427th Bundesliga game.
They then took their foot of the gas, allowing Wolfsburg far too much space.
Bayern were punished for their complacency a minute before the break when Jakub Kaminski caught the visitors' mercurial defence napping with a quick one-two and a fine finish.
Things got even worse after the break with Bayern's Joshua Kimmich sent off with a second booking for the first time in his Bundesliga career and the Wolves missing golden chances through Mattias Svanberg and Baku Ridle.
On the bench, Nagelsmann was fuming about his team's defensive operation before Musiala briefly settled their nerves with a superb solo effort in the 73rd.
Svanberg cut the deficit once more eight minutes later and then saw keeper Yann Sommer save his stoppage-time shot as the visitors held on for a win to move up to 40 points, one above second-placed Union Berlin. Borussia Dortmund are third on 37.
