Euro football roundup 7/4
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored a first-half hat-trick for Ajax
Also In The News
|
With the FA Cup semi-finals weekend now over, inthenews. |  |
Monday, 07, Apr 2008 04:38
A comprehensive roundup of all the action from the top leagues in Spain, Italy, Germany, France and the Netherlands begins with news from southern Europe.
Barcelona stumbled back into second place in the Primera Liga, courtesy of Villarreal's 1-0 defeat away to second-from-bottom Real Murcia. However, Barca failed to win their game and consequently missed out on a golden opportunity to close the seven-point gap to league leaders Real Madrid.
The Catalan club were held to a goalless draw by Getafe at the Nou Camp, while ten-man Madrid were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at Real Mallorca after Sergio Ramos was dismissed for a second bookable offence. Wesley Sneijder had given the visitors the lead on the stroke of half-time but Borja Valero equalised for the hosts with just under 20 minutes left.
The race for Serie A is well and truly a two-horse race now with just six games remaining.
Inter still lead the way, four points clear of AS Roma, after a straightforward 2-0 win at Atalanta thanks to goals from Patrick Vieira and Mario Balotelli. But Roma kept the heat on Roberto Mancini's men with three points of their own at home to Genoa in a 3-2 win.
Juventus lost ground on the leaders with a 3-2 defeat at Palermo, despite a double from Alessandro del Piero, as Mattia Cassani netted a late winner for the home team following Amauri's earlier double.
The leaders of the Bundesliga title race, Bayern Munich, continued their seemingly relentless march towards the domestic title with a 3-1 home victory over midtable VfL Bochum, despite going a goal behind after just four minutes.
However Lucio's equaliser, a Franck Ribery penalty and a late third from Christian Lell secured the points at the Allianz Arena.
Germany's sole survivor in the Champions League, Schalke 04, are now the closest challengers after a 1-0 home win over Hansa Rostock - Halil Altintop getting the only goal.
But Hamburger SV lost ground after suffering a 1-0 reverse at reigning champions VfB Stuttgart, who are now fifth.
Werder Bremen in fourth pulled to within a point of second spot with a good 2-1 win over Hertha Berlin in the capital.
Reigning French champions Lyon have been pegged back in their chase for the Ligue 1 title after suffering a rare defeat at the hands of fourth-placed Marseilles on Sunday.
Goals from Djibril Cisse and a Mamadou Niang brace cancelled out an own goal from Lorik Cana to hand the south-coast side a 3-1 victory over the leaders.
And Bordeaux, who head the chasing pack and are realistically the only side close enough to snatch the title from Lyon, took full advantage with a 2-0 away win over Stade Rennes. Midfielders Alou Diarra and Fernando Menegazzo were the ones on target for the visitors.
AS Nancy stayed third after a 1-0 home victory over Paris Saint Germain.
And finally in Holland, Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven maintained their five-point cushion over Ajax following a straightforward 2-0 home victory over Heracles, thanks to Timmy Simons' and Jefferson Farfan's goals.
The Amsterdam giants romped to a 4-1 home win over struggling De Graafschap, with Klass-Jan Huntelaar grabbing a first-half hat-trick, but they will need the leaders to slip up if they are to overhaul their rivals before the end of the season.
NAC stay third after a good 2-1 win at seventh-placed FC Groningen, while FC Twente eased to a 1-0 home win over Excelsior. Heerenveen beat Willem II 3-2 to stay fifth with Feyenoord still struggling back in sixth, despite a 3-1 home victory over FC Utrecht.