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Frustration acquired the higher of Lionel Messi as he noticed pink within the Spanish Tremendous Cup closing, whereas Inter dealt a serious blow to Juventus’s Serie A title hopes however Paris Saint-Germain are again on high in France.
AFP Sport rounds up a few of the major speaking factors from throughout the continent:
– Messi’s first pink card for Barca –
Lionel Messi was despatched off for the primary time in 753 appearances for Barcelona on the finish of his facet’s 3-2 extra-time defeat by Athletic Bilbao within the Spanish Tremendous Cup closing in Seville, after lashing out at Asier Villalibre in a second that appeared to encapsulate his latest frustration together with his boyhood membership.
Messi had twice been proven a pink card enjoying for Argentina, together with on the 2019 Copa America, however by no means in additional than 16 years with Barcelona, earlier than Sunday.
His dismissal got here proper on the finish of additional time, after Athletic had scored a late equaliser to drive the extra half-hour after which a surprising Inaki Williams strike gave the Basques a 3-2 win and their second Tremendous Cup in six years.
Barcelona had hoped to win their first trophy beneath Ronald Koeman and Messi had been in good kind, with 4 objectives in his membership’s earlier two league video games.
“Do I excuse him? I might have to see it once more,” mentioned Koeman of the incident.
– Juventus undergo main setback –
Andrea Pirlo’s hopes of main Juventus to a tenth straight Serie A title in his first season as a coach took a serious knock because the reigning champions misplaced 2-0 away to Inter, one of many golf equipment he represented as a participant.
Arturo Vidal — a former teammate of Pirlo’s at Juve — and Nicolo Barella scored the objectives as Inter, coached by ex-Juventus boss Antonio Conte, moved degree on factors with leaders AC Milan, who’ve a sport in hand to play on Monday.
Juve, who had been on their finest run of the season with three straight league wins, are actually seven factors off high spot.
“We could not have put in a worse efficiency than this,” mentioned Pirlo, who mentioned his facet have been “fearful” and too defensive. They now play Napoli within the delayed Italian Tremendous Cup on Wednesday.
– PSG again high as Lyon choke –
Paris Saint-Germain have been with out their new coach Mauricio Pochettino for his or her sport at Angers after the Argentine examined constructive for Covid-19. However, three days after profitable his first trophy in administration within the Champions Trophy towards Marseille, he watched from afar as PSG floor out a 1-0 win that took them again to the highest of Ligue 1.
Layvin Kurzawa’s objective made the distinction, earlier than former leaders Lyon noticed their 16-game unbeaten run resulted in dramatic style in a 1-0 residence defeat towards Metz. They have been denied a late opener by a marginal offside name, and conceded within the ninetieth minute to Aaron Leya Iseka.
Lyon are actually third, two factors off PSG who lead from Lille on objective distinction. Lille beat Reims 2-1 with a last-minute Jonathan David winner.
– Bayern bounce again to stretch lead –
Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick was going through as much as his first mini-crisis in cost as his facet misplaced 3-2 at Borussia Moenchengladbach final weekend after which went out of the German Cup on penalties to second-tier Holstein Kiel.
Nonetheless they acquired again on monitor as Thomas Mueller’s strike secured a 2-1 win over Freiburg on Sunday to maneuver Bayern 4 factors clear on the high of the Bundesliga from RB Leipzig, who drew 2-2 at Wolfsburg.
With Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund slipping up as nicely, it appears uncertain that any of their rivals have the consistency wanted to cease Bayern profitable a ninth straight title, though there may be nonetheless a protracted method to go.
– Nothing to separate Portugal’s giants –
Benfica and Porto are Portugal’s two most profitable golf equipment and between them have received every of the final 18 league titles. On Friday they performed out a 1-1 draw on the Estadio do Dragao, with Moussa Marega cancelling out Alex Grimaldo’s opener earlier than the Iranian Mehdi Taremi was despatched off for Porto.
It was a end result that left the 2 groups degree on 32 factors from 14 video games, and maybe the large winners have been Sporting. On the lookout for their first title since 2002, they keep 4 factors clear and unbeaten, though they have been held 1-1 at residence by mid-table Rio Ave. Sporting are as a result of face Benfica later this month.
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