Euro round-up: Barcelona secure fifth straight win, Bayern Munich move seven points clear | Football News

Substitute Riqui Puig struck on the dying as Barcelona left it late to safe a fifth-successive La Liga win on the highway as they had been made to work exhausting for the factors at lowly Elche.

Frenkie de Jong’s Thirty ninth-minute opener was all that separated the perimeters because the clock ticked down in direction of the ultimate minute of the 90 on the Martinez Valero Stadium earlier than Puig headed house the Netherlands midfielder’s cross to seal a 2-0 victory.

Elche stored themselves in it to the dying thanks largely to a string of advantageous saves by goalkeeper Edgar Badia, who denied substitute Trincao twice inside the ultimate seven minutes.

Victory lifted the Catalan aspect above Sevilla into third place, three factors adrift of arch-rivals Actual Madrid in second, however nonetheless seven adrift of leaders Atletico Madrid forward of their night kick-off in opposition to Valencia.

The guests began in decided trend and defender Ronald Araujo headed over from Ousmane Dembele’s nook earlier than the identical man fed Antoine Griezmann and noticed him pressure a Twelfth-minute save from Badia.

Elche responded with Raul Guti heading Johan Mojica’s supply over from shut vary eight minutes later, but it surely was Barca who continued to press and Badia needed to subject Sergio Busquets’ try from distance 11 minutes earlier than the break.

The breakthrough lastly arrived six minutes earlier than half-time when defender Diego Gonzalez’s effort to forestall Martin Braithwaite’s cross reaching Griezmann solely succeeded in establishing De Jong to faucet house on the road.

Elche midfielder Josan known as upon goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to make his first save of word seconds later, however Ronald Koeman’s aspect went in on the break with the slightest of benefits.

Guti and Emiliano Rigoni each went shut as Elche tried to tug themselves again into the sport instantly after the break with Ter Stegen needing to be at his finest to forestall the latter from profiting from a defensive slip.

Nonetheless, Badia needed to hold out Dembele’s 56th-minute effort and was stretched additional by Pedri’s deflected strike 11 minutes later with Barca seeking to wrap up the factors.

Trincao compelled one other very important cease from the ‘keeper with seven minutes remaining after which stored out his 87th-minute header to maintain the house aspect within the hunt, however there was nothing he might do to repel fellow substitute Puig’s header on the dying.

In the meantime, Joao Felix and Luis Suarez mixed to devastating impact as Atletico Madrid got here from behind to beat Valencia 3-1 at house on Sunday to proceed their relentless pursuit of the La Liga title.

Valencia took a shock lead within the eleventh minute with an unstoppable long-range strike from Serbian midfielder Uros Racic however the league leaders responded within the twenty third when Felix caught out a foot to prod house from a nook.

The Portugal ahead then latched on to a by means of ball to launch a fast counter-attack early within the second half and launched Suarez, who took a few touches earlier than placing in off the far put up from a decent angle.

Substitute Angel Correa then completed off a advantageous transfer from Marcos Llorente within the 72nd minute to clinch a seventh league win in a row for Diego Simeone’s aspect, who lead nearest challengers Actual Madrid by seven factors with a recreation in hand.

Bundesliga: Bayern seven factors clear

Champions Bayern Munich opened up a seven-point hole on the high of the Bundesliga after allotting a 4-0 thrashing at backside membership Schalke 04 helped by a Thomas Muller double on Sunday.

Muller scored with two headers, beginning the scoring after 33 minutes and once more within the 88th after league high scorer Robert Lewandowski hit his twenty third of the marketing campaign within the 54th.

David Alaba’s long-range effort within the ninetieth minute capped a snug night for the Bavarians.

With title rivals RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund all shedding this weekend, Bayern stay firmly heading in the right direction for a ninth consecutive Bundesliga title.

“I’m not completely happy,” mentioned Bayern coach Hansi Flick. “Sure, we scored 4 objectives however I might see that at instances we might enhance our possession recreation.”

“We generally play too quick, generally too gradual, generally with an excessive amount of threat. There’s misplaced possession which we are able to keep away from.”

“However general I’m pleased with the 9 factors this week. Immediately we used the help delivered by our rivals.”

After 18 video games, the Munich aspect have 42 factors with second-placed Leipzig on 35. Leverkusen and Wolfsburg each have 32.

Serie A: Juve again on monitor

Juventus acquired their Serie A title defence again on monitor with a hard-fought 2-0 house win over Bologna on Sunday that moved Andrea Pirlo’s aspect into the highest 4.

Arthur Melo scored his first aim for the Turin membership within the first half with a deflected strike and Weston McKennie headed house the second after 71 minutes.

Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski made some gorgeous saves to maintain his aspect within the match and the guests additionally had good probabilities in an entertaining encounter on the Allianz Stadium.

It was a much-needed victory for Pirlo’s aspect following the frustration of their 2-0 defeat to Inter Milan final weekend because it minimize the hole behind league leaders AC Milan to seven factors and the champions even have a recreation in hand.

Juventus are fourth with 36 factors from 18 video games, one level behind AS Roma in third. Bologna are thirteenth with 20 factors.

Ligue 1: Lyon thrash St Etienne

Lyon stayed sizzling on the heels of Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain and second-placed Lille after they claimed a convincing 5-0 win at a COVID-19 depleted St Etienne on Sunday.

Tino Kadewere and Marcelo each scored twice, with Denis Bouanga scoring a late personal aim, to place third-placed Lyon on 43 factors from 21 video games, two behind PSG and Lille.

St Etienne, who had been lacking 10 gamers who examined optimistic for COVID-19, are left in sixteenth place on 19 factors.

Earlier, Lille beat Stade Rennais 1-0 courtesy of a Jonathan David aim and PSG thrashed Montpellier 4-0 on Friday.