Dortmund go top as Alcacer brace seals stunning fight-back

Berlin (AFP) – New signing Paco Alcacer came off the bench to score two late goals and seal Borussia Dortmund’s stunning 4-2 win as they fought back from two goals down at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday to knock Bayern Munich from top spot in the Bundesliga.

Alcacer, on loan from Barcelona until June, came on after 63 minutes with his team 2-0 down, but tucked away goals on 85 and 94 minutes to cap the fight back after Dortmund had drawn level.

After Bayern crashed to a shock 2-0 defeat at Hertha Berlin on Friday, Dortmund left it late to top the table in dramatic style and build on their 7-0 rout of Nuremberg on Wednesday.

Leverkusen went ahead at their BayArena after just nine minutes when midfielder Mitchell Weiser hit the net with a spectacular shot from outside the area — reminiscent of Benjamin Pavard’s goal of the 2018 World Cup for France. 

Burly defender Jonathan Tah doubled Leverkusen’s lead by tapping home six minutes from the break.

Dortmund drew level with two goals in four minutes.

Danish midfielder Jacob Bruun Larsen, 20, drilled home the first  on 64 minutes.

England junior international Jadon Sancho came off the Dortmund bench and a minute later provided the final pass for Dortmund captain Marco Reus to smash home a second on 68 minutes.

– Zieler howler –

Dortmund went ahead for the first time on 85 minutes when Alcacer lunged to guide a cross by defender Achraf Hakimi, on loan from Real Madrid, into the Leverkusen net.

Alcacer completed the Roy of the Rovers-style finish on 94 minutes.

He tapped into an empty net after Dortmund attacked from their own box with Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky well out of his own penalty area as the hosts pushed for an unlikely late equaliser.

Dortmund are the only unbeaten team in Germany’s top flight after Werder Bremen earlier blew the chance to knock Bayern from top spot by losing 2-1 at Stuttgart, even though the host’s goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler conceded a howler of an own goal.

Bremen made a bad start when Greece striker Anastasios Donis dribbled through the visitors’ defence and chipped into an open net on 19 minutes.

Then Bremen had key defender Milos Veljkovic sent off eight minutes from half time for pulling back Daniel Didavi, his second foul on the Stuttgart striker.

But then Zieler’s blunder gave Werder an equaliser.

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Fans injured after stand collapses in Spain

Eibar (Spain) (AFP) – At least two people were injured after a barrier at Ipurua football stadium in Eibar collapsed as Sevilla supporters celebrated a goal, according to Spanish television footage on Saturday. 

After a penalty scored by Ever Banega in the 59th minute, Sevilla fans rushed to the bottom of the away stand. 

A protective barrier gave way under the pressure and several supporters fell through. 

Two of them had to be carried away on a stretcher by medics, according to images on the television, while the match was stopped for around 10 minutes.

The majority of fans in the stand were able to retake their seats as Eibar were beaten by Sevilla 3-1.

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Chelsea end Liverpool’s perfect start as United suffer Hammer blow

London (AFP) – Chelsea ended Liverpool’s perfect start to the Premier League season as the title contenders drew 1-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Liverpool had won all six of their previous league matches this term but, having lost to Chelsea in the League Cup in midweek, they fell behind on Saturday when Eden Hazard gave the hosts a 25th-minute lead at Stamford Bridge.

But Daniel Sturridge’s brilliant long-range strike a minute from full-time preserved Liverpool’s unbeaten league run.

This result left Liverpool in second place, with champions Manchester City, who beat Brighton 2-0 earlier on Saturday, top on goal difference.

City showed the gulf in class between the two sides of Manchester as Brighton, who beat United earlier this season, were comfortably seen off at the Etihad thanks to goals either side of half-time from Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero.

United’s worst league start in 29 years means they are also five points adrift of Tottenham and Arsenal in the race for a place in the top four, with the North London clubs 2-0 victors over Huddersfield and Watford respectively.

– Miserable week –

Defeat at the London Stadium compounded a miserable week for United manager Jose Mourinho, whose side were also dumped out of the League Cup by Derby on penalties and held at home by Wolves last weekend.

Mourinho’s switch to a three-man defence backfired as Felipe Anderson and Victor Lindelof’s own goal gave West Ham 2-0 half-time lead.

“After the result on Tuesday the team obviously needs positive things, positive feelings and to start losing after five minutes is not that positive start that you need,” said Mourinho.

Paul Pogba was also under the spotlight after being stripped of the vice-captaincy by Mourinho in midweek and a frosty training ground exchange between the pair on Wednesday.

However, the French World Cup winner failed to make an impact before he was substituted 20 minutes from time.

Marcus Rashford came off the bench to briefly give United hope by pulling a goal back, but just three minutes later Marko Arnautovic exposed more poor United defending to seal West Ham’s first home league win of the season.

– City slickers –

City face a big trip to Hoffenheim in the Champions League in midweek having lost at home to Lyon to open their campaign, but they have suffered no such domestic struggles in defence of their title.

Leroy Sane’s pace again made a big impact as the German’s low cross was tapped home by Sterling at the back post for his fourth goal of the season.

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‘Extraordinary’ Ronaldo helps Juventus stretch perfect start with Napoli win

Milan (AFP) – Mario Mandzukic scored in either half as Juventus came from behind to beat ten-man Napoli 3-1 and open up a six-point lead on Carlo Ancelotti’s side at the top of the Serie A table.

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo played a role in all three goals as Massimiliano Allegri’s side have a maximum 21 points after seven games.

Napoli are now on 15 points, after falling to their second defeat of the season. 

“Ronaldo is enjoying his football, he has integrated very well,” said Allegri.

“He’s an extraordinary player, the passing is exceptional, and tonight was the best Ronaldo of the season, along with the high-level half-hour in Valencia.”

Ancelotti’s first trip to his former club got off to a promising start when Jose Callejon volleyed for Dries Mertens to open the scoring after ten minutes.

But Ronaldo set up Mandzukic to head in the equaliser after 26 minutes.

The momentum then swung to Juventus with Ronaldo looking destined to score but the ball bounced off the left post and into the path of the onrushing Croat who tapped in the second four minutes after the break.

Napoli were a man down after Portuguese left-back Mario Rui was sent off after 58 minutes for a second bookable offence.

Napoli missed a chance to equalise when Arkadiusz Milik set up Callejon but the Spanish winger fired straight at Wojciech Szczesny.

But centre-back Leonardo Bonucci got the hosts’ third after 76 minutes when Ronaldo headed towards goal off a corner.

Both teams are in Champions League action next week with Juventus hosting Swiss club Young Boys without Ronaldo who has a one-match ban after he was controversially sent off against Valencia.

Napoli play at home against last year’s runners-up Liverpool.

– Pellegrini revives Roma –

Earlier Lorenzo Pellegrini came off the bench and lifted Roma to a 3-1 win over bitter city rivals Lazio to revive his side’s stumbling start to the season.

Eusebio Di Francesco’s team had plunged into crisis after a 2-0 defeat to Bologna, but have now claimed consecutive wins for the first time this season after their 4-0 victory over Frosinone in midweek.

The win ended Lazio’s four-match winning streak in Serie A and lifts Di Francesco’s side into fifth just behind their city rivals with 11 points from seven games.

“We reacted as men today, which was what I had asked for,” said Di Francesco.

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Lokomotiv end winless streak with two late goals

Moscow (AFP) – Champions Lokomotiv Moscow scored twice in the last nine minutes to beat visiting Akhmat Grozny 2-0 on Saturday and end a winless streak which had dropped them into the bottom half of the Russian Premier League.

The goals by Portuguese midfielder Manuel Fernandes, after 81 minutes, and forward Rifat Zhemaletdinov, in added time, gave Lokomotiv a morale-boosting win ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League meeting with German Bundesliga side Schalke 04.

While Lokomotiv beat second-tier Balktika Kaliningrad in the Russian Cup in midweek, the previous four matches had brought a draw and two defeats in the league and a loss in the Champions League.

Saturday’s victory lifted the Muscovites to sixth, but they are still 10 points behind league leaders Zenit St Petersburg, who visit lowly Anzhi Makhachkala on Sunday.

“Today we’ve played well-balanced football both in defence and in attack,” Lokomotiv boss Yury Syomin said. “We’ve exerted tough pressure on Akhmat and it paid off in the late stages.”

“Hopefully this win will help us to prepare for the Champions League match with Schalke.”

Lokomotiv started in a lively fashion, pinning the visitors back but they created few clear chances as Akhmat defended stoutly.

The pattern continued in the second half with Lokomotiv missing the cutting edge normally provided by Russian international forward Fyodor Smolov, who injured a shoulder against Baltika on Wednesday.

The hosts’ persistence paid off with nine minutes remaining as Fernandes netted a rebound after Akhmat goalkeeper Yevgeny Gorodov saved Eder’s close-range attempt.

Second-half substitute striker Zhemaletdinov added his goal in injury time.

In the other Saturday games, Ural Yekaterinburg battled back from a goal down to beat the visiting Arsenal Tula 2-1 courtesy of a brace by forward Andrei Panyukov. 

Ufa beat Yenisei Krasnoyarsk 2-1 in a battle of the two teams that started the weekend at the foot of the table.

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Barca frustrated but not a one-man team, says Messi

Barcelona (AFP) – Lionel Messi says Barcelona are “angry” after their draw at home to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday but insists they do not depend on him to win.

Barca were held 1-1 by Bilbao at the Camp Nou to make it three games without a victory, with Messi left out of the starting line-up and brought on early in the second half. 

It was his shot that Munir El Haddadi turned in for a late equaliser but Oscar de Marcos’ close-range finish before the interval was enough to secure Bilbao a point. 

The result means Barcelona head to Wembley to face Tottenham on Wednesday on the back of a difficult week, which also saw them draw at home against  Girona and lose to Leganes.

“Anxious? No, the season is very long, we feel angry after the last two results,” Messi told beIN Sports.

“Today I think we created situations to win and we couldn’t do it and we are aware that we have to become stronger defensively and that we cannot score goals in every match.” 

Barca coach Ernesto Valverde accepted after the game that leaving Messi out with Spurs in mind had been a risk that had failed to pay off. 

It also left the team open to accusations again of an over-reliance on Messi.

“We have a strong team and we don’t depend on any one player,” Messi said. 

“This is Barcelona, ​​we have enough players not to have to depend on a player. What is said, it hurts after these results but we have to be calm and be aware that this is a very long season.”

Barcelona take on Spurs, having made the perfect start in the Champions League by beating PSV Eindhoven 4-0. Messi scored a hat-trick. 

“On Wednesday we’re going to have a tough match and we need to be focused on qualification already because it is a very complicated group,” Messi added. 

“We are aware that we have to improve many things, but we need to stay calm, it’s a very long season.” 

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Sturridge salvages point at Chelsea to keep Liverpool unbeaten in league

London (AFP) – Substitute Daniel Sturridge’s sensational strike a minute from time preserved Liverpool’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season as Jurgen Klopp’s men salvaged a 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Saturday.

For the second time in four days Eden Hazard seemed set to haunt Liverpool as after deciding a League Cup tie between the pair on Wednesday, the Belgian fired Chelsea in front on 25 minutes.

Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino had efforts cleared off the line and Xherdan Shaqiri sliced wide a great chance as Liverpool were headed for defeat.

But Sturridge’s late intervention means they move level on points with Manchester City at the top of the table ahead of a huge clash between the two at Anfield next weekend.

Chelsea are just two points back in third and showed their own title credentials by continuing an unbeaten start under Maurizio Sarri with an impressive defensive display complemented by Hazard’s class at the other end of the field.

Both sides were back to full strength after Sarri and Klopp made eight changes for the League Cup between the pair.

Salah was back for Liverpool after being crowned the third best player in the world for the past year by FIFA on Monday.

But the dead eye for goal shown by the Egyptian last season to earn that accolade ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi and Hazard was missing as Liverpool paid for a wasteful start.

Twice Salah wriggled into clear shooting positions on his favoured left foot on the edge of the box inside the first 10 minutes, but his first tame effort was easily saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga before he blazed his second high and wide.

– Moment of magic –

Just as in midweek when Hazard came off the bench to win the game with a stunning individual run and finish, Liverpool were undone by a moment of magic from Chelsea’s number 10.

Hazard was picked out by a fine through ball from Mateo Kovacic and forced onto his weaker left foot he still managed to drill the ball low past Alisson Becker for his seventh goal of the season.

Chelsea have dominated possession since Sarri took charge, but the hosts seemed happy to sit on their lead and not expose themselves to Liverpool’s rapid counter-attack after going in front.

Salah should have levelled against his old club just after the half hour mark when he outmuscled Marcos Alonso and rounded Kepa, but his goalbound effort was cleared off the line by Antonio Rudiger.

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