Atletico put four past Cadiz as Real Sociedad beaten by Espanyol

Madrid (AFP) – Atletico Madrid bounced back from their Champions League disappointment by blowing away Cadiz 4-1 in La Liga on Sunday, with Diego Simeone’s side scoring all of their goals in the second half.

Thomas Lemar began the scoring flurry in the 56th minute before Antoine Greizmann and Angel Correa put Atletico out of sight. Anthony Lozano pulled a goal back for Cadiz with four minutes left but Matheus Cunha responded immediately to add a fourth for Atleti.

Victory helps lift morale after Atletico’s 1-0 defeat at home to AC Milan in midweek, a result that leaves them with something of a mountain to climb to reach the Champions League last 16.

They will have to win at Porto in the final game next month and hope Milan fail to pull off a win at home to group winners Liverpool.

Atletico look better placed in La Liga, sitting second now in the table, just a point below Real Madrid, who play at home to third-placed Sevilla later on Sunday.

Atleti jump above Real Sociedad, who had earlier slipped to a shock 1-0 loss away at Espanyol.

“We needed a win like this to set an example for ourselves,” said Lemar. “We wanted to show we have a great team – we are very happy.”

Real Sociedad could have gone top, for a few hours at least, but instead saw Espanyol end their 13-match unbeaten run in the league thanks to a late winner from Yangel Herrera.

La Real dominated for long periods but struggled to create many chances, with the closest they came when Adnan Januzaj struck the crossbar in the 63rd minute.

Venezuelan international Herrera made them pay with a deflected effort 13 minutes from time to score his first Espanyol goal since joining on loan from Manchester City.

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Leaders Chelsea held to Man Utd draw as Man City go second

London (AFP) – Premier League leaders Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Manchester United on Sunday as Manchester City moved to within a point of top spot following a 2-1 win over West Ham in swirling snow.

Blues midfielder Jorginho rescued a point as the Italian’s penalty atoned for the error that allowed Jadon Sancho to put the visitors in front at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea fell behind when a poor piece of control from Jorginho allowed Sancho to score early in the second half.

But Jorginho made amends for that mistake when he scored from the penalty spot after Aaron Wan-Bissaka fouled Thiago Silva.

It was an impressive result for United under former midfielder Michael Carrick.

United, who sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after a humiliating 4-1 defeat at Watford, are set to hire former RB Leipzig boss Ralf Rangnick imminently as their interim manager until the end of the season.

Free-scoring Liverpool laid down the gauntlet by hammering Southampton 4-0 on Saturday to move to within one point of Chelsea.

But reigning champions City stayed in close touch with victory at home to the high-flying Hammers.

Riyad Mahrez had a strike ruled out for offside at the Etihad but the hosts eventually claimed the lead shortly after the half-hour mark when a Mahrez ball into the box was deflected into the path of Ilkay Gundogan, handing the German a simple finish.

Declan Rice forced a good save from Ederson as West Ham threatened late on but substitute Fernandinho made it 2-0 to City in the closing minutes.

Manuel Lanzini pulled one back deep into stoppage time but it was not enough for David Moyes’s team to avoid a second successive defeat.

“We have an incredible groundskeeper — thanks to them we could play,” Guardiola told the BBC, referring to the wintry conditions in Manchester.

“The chances we created… it could have been three or four. The players we have out… those that came here were brilliant. All of them. We cannot forget which opponent we played. They have everything.”

– Vardy double –

Leicester’s Jamie Vardy reminded Claudio Ranieri of his enduring quality even in his mid-30s, scoring twice at a snowy King Power Stadium in a 4-2 win against Watford. 

Ranieri, who famously won the Premier League title with unfancied Leicester in 2016, received a rapturous reception on his emotional first return to the stadium as an opposition manager since leaving the club early the following year.

Midfielder James Maddison gave Leicester an early lead when he capitalised on a mistake by William Troost-Ekong, only for Josh King to level from the penalty spot in the 30th minute after Wilfred Ndidi brought down Emmanuel Dennis in the area.

Leicester regained the lead four minutes later when Vardy scored from a tight angle and the former England striker grabbed his second three minutes before the break when he glanced in Maddison’s corner.

Dennis pulled a goal back just after the hour but Ademola Lookman scored from close range to restore the home side’s two-goal cushion.

Brentford heaped the pressure on Rafael Benitez by beating Everton 1-0 to secure their first Premier League win since early October, courtesy of a first-half penalty from Ivan Toney.

Everton, who have taken just two points from their past seven league matches, face Liverpool in a daunting test in midweek.

“Every game is important for us,” said ex-Liverpool boss Benitez. “Obviously the next one is more important because it is the derby. We must learn from the mistakes we are making.”

The game between Burnley and Tottenham was called off a little under an hour before kick-off because of heavy snow at Turf Moor in northwest England.

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Virus-hit Leipzig slump to defeat against Leverkusen

Berlin (AFP) – RB Leipzig’s week of Covid misery went from bad to worse as they slumped to a 3-1 defeat at home to Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday in the absence of both fans and coach Jesse Marsch. 

After American coach Marsch and several key players tested positive for coronavirus earlier in the week, a depleted Leipzig side were outplayed by fellow top-four hopefuls Leverkusen.

Forced to play in front of an empty stadium because of rising Covid positives in the region of Saxony, Leipzig were a shadow of the team which smashed five goals past Club Brugge in the Champions League in midweek. 

Moussa Diaby found the net early on for Leverkusen, only for the goal to be ruled out for an offside in the build-up. 

They took a deserved lead on 21 minutes, however, Florian Wirtz linking up with Exequiel Palacios to score his fifth goal of the season. 

Diaby doubled the lead in style shortly afterwards, plucking a long ball out of the air and drilling a low shot into the bottom corner. 

Andre Silva brought Leipzig back into the game with a sharp header on the hour mark, but Leverkusen restored their two-goal lead through Jeremie Frimpong just a few minutes later. 

Dominik Szoboszlai crowned a miserable afternoon for the hosts when he slammed a late penalty against the post. 

While Leverkusen move up to third, Leipzig’s fifth defeat of the season leaves them stuck in mid-table, four points adrift of the Champions League spots.

They are now level on points with 12th placed Eintracht Frankfurt, who snatched a 2-1 win at home to Union Berlin in Sunday’s earlier game. 

– Frankfurt strike late again –

French defender Evan N’Dicka scored an injury-time header to give Frankfurt their first home win of the season.

After a disappointing start under new coach Oliver Glasner, Frankfurt have now gone six games unbeaten in all competitions.

They have also made a habit of deciding games late on, having scored in injury time in five of their last six games. 

“We never give up: that’s one of our defining features at the moment,” the Frankfurt coach told DAZN. 

“We should have been two or three goals up at half time, but we kept fighting even after the equaliser,” he added.

Victory lifted Frankfurt five points clear of the relegation zone, while Union missed another chance to break into the top four after conceding a late goal for the third time in a row away from home. 

Frankfurt had an early goal ruled out for offside, but Djibril Sow put them in front with a brilliant half-volley on 22 minutes. 

The home side had several chances to double the lead before half-time as they continued to pile pressure on an unsettled Union backline. 

Makoto Hasebe hit the bar with a header, while Filip Kostic, Rafael Borre and Kristijan Jakic all missed from close range.

They were made to rue the missed chances when Union equalised on the hour mark.

After a clear foul on Taiwo Awoniyi in the Frankfurt box, Max Kruse slotted in his second league goal of the season from the penalty spot.

Union seemed to have done enough to snatch a point, before N’Dicka rose in the box late in injury time to head home Kostic’s cross and seal the three points for Frankfurt.

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Jorginho redemption as Chelsea rescue Man Utd draw

London (AFP) – Chelsea midfielder Jorginho rescued a 1-1 draw against Manchester United as the Italian’s penalty atoned for the blunder that allowed Jadon Sancho to put the visitors in front on Sunday.

Thomas Tuchel’s side dominated for long periods at Stamford Bridge but fell behind when Jorginho’s poor control presented Sancho with the chance to score early in the second half.

Jorginho made amends for that mistake as he stroked home a penalty after Aaron Wan-Bissaka fouled Thiago Silva.

It was the least Chelsea deserved after they laid seige to United’s goal and saw David de Gea make a series of fine saves.

Chelsea, unbeaten in their last 11 games in all competitions, remain top of the Premier League but are now just one point ahead of second-placed Manchester City, who defeated West Ham earlier on Sunday.

United, in eighth place, are 12 points adrift of the leaders but this gritty display was something to build on after a traumatic period.

Michael Carrick was in charge of United for a second successive game after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking, with the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as interim manager until the end of this season expected to be confirmed shortly.

United are in discussions with Rangnick, who is working as director of sports and development at Lokomotiv Moscow.

But in the meantime Carrick had overseen a vital win at Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday and he used the same defensive blueprint to frustrate Chelsea.

Given Rangnick’s preference for a intense pressing game-plan that may not suit Cristiano Ronaldo, it was intriguing to see the sometimes diffident Portugal striker left on the bench by Carrick until the 63rd minute.

With Bruno Fernandes as the false nine and Marcus Rashford and Sancho on the flanks, United set up for a point and got exactly that.

Hakim Ziyech found space in the United area early on but his low shot was saved by De Gea, setting the tone for the rest of the afternoon.

– Frenetic finale –

Moments later, Marcos Alonso’s header from Silva’s long pass caught Victor Lindelof and Wan-Bissaka out of position.

Callum Hudson-Odoi seemed certain to score when he pounced on the loose ball, only for De Gea to repel the forward’s close-range effort with a superb save.

Manchester United technical director Darren Fletcher was on the bench wearing an ear-piece, sparking suggestions he was in contact with Rangnick.

Rangnick is regarded as the godfather of ‘gegenpressing’, the tactics copied so successfully by Tuchel and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, and United had spells when they closed down Chelsea with more authority than they showed in the final weeks of Solskjaer’s reign.

But if Rangnick was offering advice to the United bench ahead of his impending appointment, he might have been concerned at how deep they were sitting.

Antonio Rudiger was left in acres of space when his 25-yard drive was tipped onto the crossbar by De Gea.

United had ventured into the Chelsea area only twice in the first half, but they broke out to snatch the lead five minutes after the interval with their first shot on target.

Fernandes’ hoofed clearance should have been easy for Jorginho, but Chelsea’s captain made a hash of dealing with the high ball and Sancho was rewarded for pressing hard as he stole possession, sprinted clear on goal and slotted past Edouard Mendy.

After going 14 games without a goal following his close-season move from Borussia Dortmund, Sancho has two in his last two matches.

Chelsea’s response was emphatic and their pressure was finally rewarded in the 69th minute after Wan-Bissaka’s flailing challenge on Silva conceded a needless penalty.

Jorginho had missed a high-profile penalty for Italy against Switzerland recently, but the midfielder coolly sent De Gea the wrong way from the spot.

In a frenetic finale, Rudiger could have won it in the final seconds when he volleyed over from Christian Pulisic’s cross.

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Sociedad miss chance to go top with Espanyol defeat

Madrid (AFP) – Real Sociedad missed the chance to take top spot in La Liga from Real Madrid in a 1-0 loss at Espanyol on Sunday which ended their 13-match unbeaten league run.

Yangel Herrera scored a late winner as Sociedad remained one point behind Real Madrid, who host third-placed Sevilla later Sunday, having played two games more.

Sociedad dominated for long periods but struggled to create many chances, with the closest they came when Adnan Januzaj struck the crossbar in the 63rd minute.

Venezuelan international Herrera made them pay with a deflected effort 13 minutes from time to score his first Espanyol goal since joining on loan from Manchester City.

Top spot in the table could still change hands later, though, as Sevilla are only two points behind Real Madrid ahead of their visit to the capital.

Reigning champions Atletico Madrid can jump from fifth into second place with victory at Cadiz.

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Rangers win in Van Bronckhorst’s first league game in charge

Glasgow (AFP) – Rangers held off Livingston as Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s first league match in charge of the Scottish champions ended in a 3-1 away win on Sunday.

Victory kept Scottish Premiership leaders Rangers four points clear of Celtic, with their Glasgow arch rivals defeating Aberdeen 2-1 later in the day.

Scott Arfield and Joe Aribo were on target in the first 16 minutes for Rangers before Bruce Anderson pulled a goal back prior to half-time.

Fashion Sakala, however, put the result beyond doubt 12 minutes from time.

“I think we controlled the game,” Van Bronckhorst told Sky Sports.

“We had a great start in the first 20, 25 minutes and scored two goals. First goal was excellent, second goal was also really good.

“I think after that we lost a little bit of the intention of playing and also the speed of play.

“We were a bit sloppy and of course the 2-1 made it a real game. I think second half we controlled more, we didn’t give any chances away.”

The Dutchman, who has succeeded Steven Gerrard as Rangers boss, added: “If you control so much of the game you need to make sure you finish the game as early as possible and we kept Livingston too long in the game.”

Livingston manager David Martindale questioned the thinking of Rangers fans who delayed the start of the second half by pelting home goalkeeper Max Stryjek with snowballs. 

“We shouldn’t be standing here talking about the doughballs with the snowballs,” he said.

“I just don’t understand it. You could maybe see it if your team is getting beat and there is a bit of frustration there, but when your team is winning 2-1, to hold up the second half, I don’t understand that at all.

“I know the majority of Rangers fans were not throwing snowballs but it doesn’t look good for anyone.”

Scott Brown went off injured on his return to Celtic Park after his successor as Hoops captain, Callum McGregor, scored a fortunate winner against Aberdeen.

McGregor had his back to goal as he diverted a clearance from former team-mate Jonny Hayes into the Dons goal on the hour mark to earn Celtic a 2-1 victory.

Jota had opened the scoring for the hosts with his eighth goal of the season but Aberdeen drew level with a Lewis Ferguson penalty in the 33rd minute.

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N’Dicka snatches late winner as resurgent Frankfurt beat Union

Berlin (AFP) – French defender Evan N’Dicka snatched an injury-time winner to hand resurgent Eintracht Frankfurt a 2-1 win over Bundesliga rivals Union Berlin on Sunday.

N’Dicka’s late header gave Frankfurt their first home win of the season amid a return to form in recent weeks.

Frankfurt had an early goal ruled out for offside, but took a deserved lead through Djibril Sow on 22 minutes.

The Swiss midfielder pounced on a poorly defended corner and rifled the ball in with a brilliant half-volley.

The home side had several chances to double the lead before half-time as they continued to pile pressure on an unsettled Union back line. 

Makoto Hasebe hit the bar with a header, while Filip Kostic, Rafael Borre and Kristijan Jakic all missed the target from close range.

They were made to rue the missed chances when Union equalised against the run of play on the hour mark.

After a clear foul on Taiwo Awoniyi in the Frankfurt box, Max Kruse slotted in his second league goal of the season from the penalty spot.

Union seemed to have done enough to snatch a point, before N’Dicka rose in the box late in injury time to head home Kostic’s cross and seal the three points for Frankfurt.

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