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Lionel Messi is bang in kind within the new 12 months, Schalke prevented matching the Bundesliga file for probably the most consecutive video games and not using a win and there was a really uncommon defeat for Bayern Munich.
AFP Sport rounds up a number of the primary speaking factors from throughout the continent:
– Messi means enterprise –
Lionel Messi seems to be like a person on a mission at first of 2021 and what could possibly be his last six months as a Barcelona participant. On Saturday he scored twice — together with direct from a free-kick, one among his late-career specialities — in a 4-0 win at Granada. That adopted a masterful double and two pictures off the put up in a 3-2 midweek victory at Athletic Bilbao.
Earlier than that he supplied the help for Frenkie de Jong’s winner at Huesca, and Barcelona have received three out of three because the flip of the 12 months, whereas Messi is now La Liga’s high scorer. Possibly it isn’t too late for Ronald Koeman’s facet to problem for the title: they’re third, 4 factors behind leaders Atletico Madrid, albeit having performed three video games extra.
– New Hoppe for Schalke –
Matthew Hoppe is the newest younger American to interrupt by within the Bundesliga and he’s already a hero for Schalke supporters. The California-born 19-year-old, who made his debut in November, had by no means scored a senior objective earlier than netting a hat-trick — the primary ever for an American within the Bundesliga — within the 4-0 defeat of Hoffenheim that rescued the Royal Blues from equalling an undesirable file.
Their first win since January 17 final 12 months, after 30 video games with out, prevented them from matching Tasmania Berlin’s notorious German top-flight file of 31 video games and not using a victory set in 1965/66. Hoppe has given hope to a complete membership, and out of the blue Schalke have new trigger for optimism as they bid to beat the drop. They’re off the underside, above Mainz, however they continue to be within the relegation zone.
– Title race alive as Bayern come unstuck –
Bayern Munich had begun to look rather less irresistible on a run of eight straight Bundesliga matches by which they’d conceded the opening objective. However they’d received 5 and drawn three of these matches. Then on Friday they had been 2-0 up away to Borussia Moenchengladbach solely to lose 3-2, simply their second Bundesliga defeat since dropping on the similar floor in December 2019.
It’s a end result that retains the Bundesliga title race very a lot alive, though Hansi Flick’s workforce have a winnable run of matches upcoming and so they stay high, two factors away from RB Leipzig, who misplaced 3-1 at residence to Borussia Dortmund, for whom Erling Braut Haaland scored twice. Third-placed Bayer Leverkusen are 4 factors off the highest after drawing 1-1 with Werder Bremen.
– Milan unfazed by Juve defeat –
Three days after a 3-1 residence loss to reigning champions Juventus which ended a 27-game unbeaten run in Serie A stretching again to June, AC Milan bounced again to beat Torino 2-0 at San Siro. With second-placed metropolis rivals Inter drawing at Roma, Milan at the moment are three factors clear on the high of the desk, and stay seven forward of Juventus, who’re fourth however do have a recreation in hand.
Added excellent news for Milan got here with the return of veteran high scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a late substitute for his first look since November 22 after harm. The Swede got here on for Rafael Leao, who had earlier scored his third objective in 5 video games. Can Zlatan now fireplace the Rossoneri to their first Scudetto since 2011?
– Lyon lead manner in France –
Mauricio Pochettino obtained his first victory as coach of Paris Saint-Germain, a 3-0 defeat of Brest, however it’s Lyon who lead midway by the Ligue 1 season. They claimed the symbolic title of autumn champions after getting back from 2-0 down to attract 2-2 at Rennes on Saturday with Memphis Depay scoring one tremendous objective earlier than establishing Jason Denayer’s equaliser.
Rudi Garcia’s workforce are unbeaten in 16 video games though each PSG and Lille are only a level behind, and there’s a very lengthy option to go. Guaranteeing Depay stays to see out the rest of his contract moderately than leaving this month shall be essential.
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