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Football Briefs: Bayern misery continues, PSG demolish Bordeaux

Last updated on: October 01, 2017 20:52 IST

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Bayern misery continues as Hertha fight back to draw

Frank Ribery

IMAGE: Franck Ribery leaves the pitch. Photograph: Bayern Munich/Twitter

Champions Bayern Munich wasted a two-goal lead for the second straight week to draw 2-2 at Hertha Berlin on Sunday in interim coach Willy Sagnol's debut following the midweek sacking of Carlo Ancelotti.

 

Goals from Mats Hummels in the 12th minute and Robert Lewandowski after the break looked set to get the Bavarians back on track after last week's 2-2 draw against VfL Wolfsburg and their 3-0 rout by Paris St Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Yet Hertha needed just five minutes in the second half to level with goals from Ondrej Duda after a sensational solo from Genki Haraguchi, and Salomon Kalou.

The Berliners had little trouble getting through Bayern's struggling backline that has already conceded seven goals this season, as many goals as 17th-placed Werder Bremen.

The result left Bayern, who sacked Ancelotti a day after their crushing loss in Paris, provisionally in second place on 14 points, five off leaders Borussia Dortmund who beat Augsburg 2-1 on Saturday.

Hoffenheim are level on 14 points, behind Bayern on goal difference, after losing 3-2 at Freiburg on Sunday to end their unbeaten run this season.

Neymar on the spot as PSG demolish Bordeaux

Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar shoots at goal during their match against Bordeaux during their Ligue 1 match at Parc des Princes, stadium in Paris on Saturday

IMAGE: Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar shoots at goal during their match against Bordeaux during their Ligue 1 match at Parc des Princes, stadium in Paris on Saturday. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters

Neymar scored a double as Paris St Germain's awe-inspiring firepower was on show again in a 6-2 demolition of Girondins de Bordeaux that stretched their Ligue 1 lead to three points on Saturday.

Edinson Cavani, Thomas Meunier and Julian Draxler also found the back of the net before the break, with Kylian Mbappe adding a goal in the second half as Bordeaux hit back through Younousse Sankhare and Malcom.

PSG, who crushed Bayern Munich 3-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday, have 22 points from eight games to Monaco's 19 after the principality side were held to a 1-1 home draw by Montpellier on Friday.

Bordeaux, who had been the only other unbeaten team this season, are third, seven points off the pace.

"There's not much to say. We started with a good mindset but when you concede an early goal against such a team, it's really difficult," said Bordeaux captain Jeremy Toulalan.

"We can play better. We lost a bit of focus when we were 3-0 up and we should be more disciplined," said PSG fullback Meunier.

Neymar opened the scoring after five minutes as he curled a 30-metre free kick under the bar.

Seven minutes later, the Brazilian's perfect through ball was collected by Cavani, who slotted it past Benoit Costil as PSG doubled their lead.

PSG were all over Bordeaux and in the 21st Meunier made it 3-0, firing the ball into the top corner from Yuri Berchiche's cross after Mbappe missed the ball.

The visitors reduced the arrears in the 31st when Sankhare found the back of the net from close range after Bordeaux benefited from Marco Verratti's bad clearance.

Two weeks after Cavani and Neymar argued over who would take a penalty, there was no discussion when PSG were awarded a spot kick in the 40th minute following Otavio's handball.

It was Neymar who took the penalty, converting it by wrong-footing Costil.

For the first time in their history, PSG scored five goals in the first half as Draxler whipped in a sublime left-footed volley from Mbappe's cross from the right.

In the second half, Draxler repaid the favour to Mbappe, setting him up in the area, and the France striker scored with a crossed shot shortly before the hour.

Malcolm gave Bordeaux their second goal from a 90th-minute penalty, awarded for a foul on Jonathan Cafu.       

Napoli maintain perfect start with win over Cagliari

League-leaders Napoli continued their 100 per cent start to the Serie A season with a 3-0 win over Cagliari at Stadio San Paolo on Sunday.

Marek Hamsik handed the hosts an early lead by scoring his first goal of the campaign with a low, angled shot in the fourth minute.

Top-scorer Dries Mertens then netted his ninth goal in all competitions this season by slotting home from the penalty spot five minutes before the interval.

Kalidou Koulibaly rounded off the win by finishing from close range two minutes into the second period.

Napoli have now scored 33 goals in all competitions this season and have moved two points clear at the top of Serie A.

Inter Milan are up to second, after Marcelo Brozovic scored twice in a 2-1 victory at Benevento.

Defending champions Juventus have the opportunity to jump back ahead of Inter and draw level with Napoli when they travel to Atalanta later on Sunday.

Juventus would need a thumping victory to move into first place, given that their goal difference is five worse than Maurizio Sarri's side.

Lazio defeated Sassuolo 6-1 at home to ensure they will go into the international break in fourth place.

Luis Alberto and Marco Parolo both scored braces for Simone Inzaghi's side, while Stefan de Vrij and Ciro Immobile completed the rout.

Arsenal's Koscielny, Ozil and Welbeck out of World Cup games

Arsenal players Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil and Danny Welbeck will miss their upcoming World Cup qualifiers through injury, manager Arsene Wenger said on Sunday.

All three players were ruled out of Sunday's 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion and will continue their recovery next week.

"Some players will not go on international break. Laurent Koscielny, Ozil and Danny Welbeck," Wenger said.

Koscielny, who has a strained Achilles, will miss France's Group A games against Bulgaria and Belarus. Ozil (knee) has been ruled out of Germany's Group C qualifiers against Northern Ireland and Azerbaijan, while Welbeck (groin) misses England's Group F matches against Slovenia and Lithuania.

Source: REUTERS
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